It stands for Light Imaging , Detection And Ranging.
Using different wavelengths of light this technology detects the presence of any solid body by calculating the time taken by the light to hit that object and bounce back to the module.
Small sensors of size of a matchbox can measure distances upto 180m. And the real breakthrough is that the sensor can be rotated to produce a map of the surrounding environment.
If you search the term "Lidar" on any search engine like "duck duck go" you might get a perception that it is some weird , highly advanced military technology (which it is) and loose interest in the topic. But like any big project even this was first prototype on a smaller scale and developed as a module to be used by hobbyist and robot makers as a 360° real time distance sensor.
Lidar is commonly used to make high - resolution maps, with application in archaeology, geography, geology, seismology, forestry, atmospheric physics, laser guidance, airborne laser swath mapping (ALSM), and laser altimetry, robotics. This technology is also used in control and navigation for some autonomous cars.
SLAM - Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping
Its not that LIDAR can only be used by military, it is used in engineering, agriculture and by hobbyist in robotics.
A lidar sensor along with microcontrollers like Arduino, or SBC like Raspberry Pi can create autonomous robots by creating 2D maps (SLAM).
This technology is quite new and is on the costlier side. But if you decide to create an awesome autonomous robot consider using a LIDAR .
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