STMicroelectronics has announced designs and early customer wins for its new VD55H1, the world's smallest 500k-pixel indirect Time-of-Flight (iToF) sensor. It has also introduced the VL53L9, a direct Time-of-Flight (dToF) 3D LiDAR sensor that excels in detecting small objects/edges:

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VD55H1 Low-Noise Low-Power iToF Sensor

-- New design feat, packing 672 x 804 sensing pixels in a tiny chip size and can map a three-dimensional surface in great detail by measuring distance to over half a million points.  

-- Lanxin Technology will use the VD55H1 for intelligent obstacle avoidance and high-precision docking in mobile robots; MRDVS will enhance its 3D cameras adding high-accuracy depth-sensing.

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VL53L9CA dToF 3D Lidar Module

-- New high-resolution sensor with 5cm – 9m ranging distance ensures accurate depth measurements for camera assistance, hand tracking, and gesture recognition.

-- VR systems use the VL53L9 to depict depth more accurately within 2D and 3D imaging, improving mapping for immersive gaming and other applications like 3D avatars.

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The two new products announced will enhance safer mobile robots in industrial environments and smart homes as well as enable advanced VR applications. Please find the full press release below my signature and attached accompanying image material. Here is also a link to a video clip showcasing VR room mapping @ 2.3k resolution with the VL53L9: