I-ToF isifinyezo se-Time of Flight. Inzwa ikhipha ukukhanya okushintshile okuseduze kwe-infrared okuboniswa ngemva kokuhlangana nento. Inzwa ibala umehluko wesikhathi noma umehluko wesigaba phakathi kokuphuma kokukhanya nokuboniswa bese iguqula ibanga lendawo ethwebuliwe ukuze ikhiqize ulwazi olujulile.
Ikhamera yesikhathi sendiza iqukethe izinto eziningi, enye yazo okuyilensi yokubona. Ilensi iqoqa ukukhanya okubonisiwe futhi ifanekisela indawo ezungezile inzwa yesithombe okuyinhliziyo yekhamera ye-TOF. Isihlungi se-optical band-pass sidlula kuphela ukukhanya ngobude begagasi obufanayo neyunithi yokukhanyisa. Lokhu kusiza ukucindezela ukukhanya okungabalulekile futhi kunciphise umsindo.
Isikhathi se-lens yendiza (Ilensi ye-ToF) iwuhlobo lwamalensi ekhamera olusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe besikhathi sendiza ukuze ithwebule ulwazi olujulile esigcawini. Ngokungafani namalensi endabuko athwebula izithombe ze-2D, amalensi e-ToF akhipha ukukhanya kwe-infrared futhi alinganise isikhathi esisithathayo ukuze ukukhanya kubuye kubuyele ezintweni ezisesigcawini. Lolu lwazi lube selusetshenziselwa ukukhiqiza imephu ye-3D yendawo yesehlakalo, okuvumela ukubona ukujula okunembile nokulandelela into.
Amalensi e-TOF avame ukusetshenziswa ezinhlelweni ezinjengamarobhothi, izimoto ezizimele, kanye neqiniso elingathandwa kwabathelisi esikubona, lapho ulwazi olunembile olujulile lubalulekile ekuboneni okunembile nasekuthathweni kwezinqumo. Ziphinde zisetshenziswe kwamanye amadivaysi e-electronics abathengi, njengama-smartphone, izinhlelo zokusebenza ezifana nokubonwa kobuso nokujula kokuzwa kwezithombe.
I-Chancctv ibigxile ekuthuthukisweni kwamalensi e-TOF, futhi ithuthukise uchungechunge lwamalensi e-TOF anikezelwe ku-UAV. Amapharamitha angenziwa ngokwezifiso ngokuya ngesicelo sangempela kanye nezidingo ukuze ahlangabezane nezidingo zezimboni ezisezingeni eliphakeme.