Real-time 3D point cloud viewer for the VL53L5CX multi-zone time-of-flight sensor with BNO085 IMU orientation tracking.
- 64-zone 3D visualization - See the VL53L5CX's 8x8 measurement grid as rays in 3D space
- Real-time IMU tracking - BNO085 orientation rotates the virtual view to match physical movement
- Temporal filtering - Exponential moving average smooths noisy measurements
- Plane fitting - Least squares and RANSAC methods for surface detection
- Mapping mode - Accumulate points over time to build a 3D map of your environment
Components (~£24 / $30 / €28 from AliExpress):
- ESP32 dev board (~£4)
- VL53L5CX ToF sensor (~£5)
- BNO085 IMU (~£15)
Wiring:
| VL53L5CX | ESP32 |
|---|---|
| VIN | 3V3 |
| GND | GND |
| SDA | GPIO 21 |
| SCL | GPIO 22 |
| LPn | GPIO 19 |
| BNO085 | ESP32 |
|---|---|
| VIN | 3V3 |
| GND | GND |
| SDA | GPIO 21 |
| SCL | GPIO 22 |
Both sensors share the I2C bus (same SDA/SCL pins).
# Install libraries
arduino-cli lib install "SparkFun VL53L5CX Arduino Library"
arduino-cli lib install "SparkFun BNO08x Cortex Based IMU"
# Compile and upload
arduino-cli compile --fqbn esp32:esp32:esp32 firmware/vl53l5cx_reader
arduino-cli upload --fqbn esp32:esp32:esp32 --port /dev/cu.usbserial-0001 firmware/vl53l5cx_readerpip install -r viewer/requirements.txtpython -m viewer --port /dev/cu.usbserial-0001Open http://localhost:8080 in your browser.
Options:
--port,-p: Serial port (default:/dev/cu.usbserial-0001)--baud,-b: Baud rate (default:115200)--viser-port: Viser server port (default:8080)--debug: Enable verbose logging
VL53L5CX (datasheet):
- FoV: 65° diagonal
- Range: 20mm - 4000mm
- Distance type: Perpendicular (z-axis), not radial
| Resolution | Zones | Max Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 4x4 | 16 | 60 Hz |
| 8x8 | 64 | 15 Hz |
Currently configured for 8x8 at 15Hz.
The ESP32 streams JSON over serial at 115200 baud:
{"distances":[d0,d1,...,d63],"status":[s0,s1,...,s63],"quat":[w,x,y,z]}distances: 64 values in mm (perpendicular distance)status: 64 values (5 = valid measurement)quat: IMU quaternion (w, x, y, z)
Zones are row-major: 0-7 = row 0, 8-15 = row 1, etc.
MIT