LIDAR — Key to Autonomous Vehicles

Successful operation of self-driving cars depends on light detection and ranging, otherwise known as LIDAR. Unlike radar or ultrasound technologies which are limited by longer wavelengths, LIDAR systems generate short wavelengths. The shorter wavelengths, in turn, translate to the precise angular and distance resolutions required for a vehicle to image its surroundings in 3D. While current systems rely on an old-fashioned mechanically rotating mirror, research is focused on developing more compact LIDAR systems with no moving parts.

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