lidar
nounUS /ˈlaɪdɑɹ/ · UK /ˈlaɪdɑː/
Etymology By anacronymic evolution from LIDAR.
1
Usually The optical analogue of radar, using intense pulses of laser light to measure the composition and structure of the atmosphere.
- Tesla bet on the idea that in the design of self-driving cars, lidar doesn't add enough capability, beyond what the cameras already provide, to be worth the additional cost.
- Although operational environments profoundly differ, both kinds of autonomous vehicles, groundcraft and aircraft, will still rely on conceptually the same sorts of sensors — cameras, radar and lidar — to perceive surroundings in real time.2020 January 1, Adam Hadhazy, “Achieving autonomy”, in Aerospace America, archived from the original on 22 Apr 2025:
2
A device that provides such imaging.
- There's a lidar mounted on the roof of that Waymo.
- Derived terms
- active lidar, microlidar