RealSense D457 emitter
Subject: Question about using the emitter on D457 in outdoor environments
Hello,
I am currently using the RealSense D457 and noticed that the emitter can be turned on or off. I would like to clarify a few things about how this affects depth calculation:
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Does the depth calculation method change depending on whether the emitter is on or off?
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Since I am mainly using the camera outdoors, would it be better to turn the emitter off in such environments?
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For objects that are farther away, is there any difference in depth accuracy or behavior between having the emitter on vs. off?
My understanding is that if the depth processing is identical in both cases, I can simply leave the emitter on. But if there are benefits to disabling it outdoors, I’d like to know the best practice.
Thank you in advance for your help!
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Hi seongho ham Having the emitter enabled can enhance depth image quality, as it casts an invisible pattern of infrared dots onto surfaces in the scene that aids the camera's ability to analyze those surfaces for depth information. The dots will be less visible in brightly lit conditions though, so having the emitter enabled on a bright day may not have as great an effect as using the camera indoors under artificial lighting.
The camera can though also use the ambient light in a scene to aid depth analysis. The stronger the light, the better the camera can perform (however, reflective surfaces or directly facing the camera towards the sun can reduce depth quality). In summary, it's fine to leave the emitter enabled, Whether the lighting conditions are bright or dim, the camera will be able to handle it. By having the emitter enabled all the time, the camera will be able to cope with varying environmental conditions during the day and night.
The strength of the emitter's projection reduces as distance from the camera increases. You can increase the emitter's strength to its maximum to make the emission as visible to the camera as possible by maximizing the Laser Power setting to '360'.
As the distance of an observed object or surface from the camera increases, accuracy reduces. D455-type cameras such as D457 are capable of accurate long-range depth sensing. Drift in accuracy should start to become noticeable beyond the 6 meter distance. This is not because of the emitter strength though - it is a characteristic of the camera. Error linearly increases over distance. This phenomenon is called RMS Error.
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