![[MAROON: A Dataset for the Joint Characterization of Near-Field High-Resolution Radio-Frequency and Optical Depth Imaging Techniques]](wirth2026maroon-400x300.jpg)
Vanessa Wirth1, Johanna Bräunig1, Nikolai Hofmann1, Martin Vossiek1, Tim Weyrich1,2, Marc Stamminger1
1 Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)
2 University College London
Utilizing the complementary strengths of wavelength-specific range or depth sensors is crucial for robust computer-assisted tasks such as autonomous driving. Despite this, there is still little research done at the intersection of optical depth sensors and radars operating close range, where the target is decimeters away from the sensors. Together with a growing interest in high-resolution imaging radars operating in the near field, the question arises how these sensors behave in comparison to their traditional optical counterparts. In this work, we take on the unique challenge of jointly characterizing depth imagers from both, the optical and radio-frequency domain using a multimodal spatial calibration. We collect data from four depth imagers, with three optical sensors of varying operation principle and an imaging radar. We provide a comprehensive evaluation of their depth measurements with respect to distinct object materials, geometries, and object-to-sensor distances. Specifically, we reveal scattering effects of partially transmissive materials and investigate the response of radio-frequency signals. All object measurements are made public in form of a multimodal dataset, called MAROON.
Vanessa Wirth, Johanna Bräunig, Nikolai Hofmann, Martin Vossiek, Tim Weyrich, Marc Stamminger. Conditionally accepted to ACM Transactions on Graphics, 18 pages, 2026.Vanessa Wirth, Johanna Bräunig, Nikolai Hofmann, Martin Vossiek, Tim Weyrich, and Marc Stamminger. MAROON: A dataset for the joint characterization of near-field high-resolution radio-frequency and optical depth imaging techniques. Transactions on Graphics (conditionally accepted), 2026.Wirth, V., Bräunig, J., Hofmann, N., Vossiek, M., Weyrich, T., and Stamminger, M. 2026. MAROON: A dataset for the joint characterization of near-field high-resolution radio-frequency and optical depth imaging techniques. Transactions on Graphics (conditionally accepted).V. Wirth, J. Bräunig, N. Hofmann, M. Vossiek, T. Weyrich, and M. Stamminger, “MAROON: A dataset for the joint characterization of near-field high-resolution radio-frequency and optical depth imaging techniques,” Transactions on Graphics (conditionally accepted), 2026. |
The authors would like to thank the Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG (Munich, Germany) for providing the radar imaging devices. This work was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) -- SFB 1483 -- Project-ID 442419336, EmpkinS. The authors gratefully acknowledge the scientific support and HPC resources provided by the Erlangen National High Performance Computing Center of the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
