A vehicle, detection system and method for detecting a location of an object with respect to a vehicle is disclosed. The method includes transmitting, at the vehicle, a structured light pattern at a selected frequency into a volume that includes the object and receiving, at a detector of the vehicle, a reflection of the light pattern from the volume. A processor determines a deviation in the reflection of the structured light pattern due to the object in the volume and determines a location of the object in the volume from the deviation.