In a two-story feature, William Pao of ASMag wrote about how lidar technology can improve retail.

The first ASMag article addressed the advantages that lidar brings over other sensors. These include how lidar does not identify individuals’ facial characteristics, protecting privacy and it provides better “coverage than IP cameras whose visibility and field of view can be limited.” The story quotes Velodyne’s Vice President of Business Development Jon Barad saying:

“Using lidar’s intelligent perception technology can enable improvements that are crucial to the safety, sustainability, and efficiency of our world – including in retail stores ranging from small shops to department stores, as well as for backend applications, such as supply chain, logistics and expansion. This includes applications where lidar sensors are used to measure, monitor, and improve shopping conditions.”

The second ASMag article looked at the business application areas, like customer experience and security, where lidar can contribute to retail. The article quotes Jon Barad discussing business intelligence applications, saying:

“Lidar maps foot traffic and patterns, which can allow a retailer to see how shoppers are navigating the store, and where there is congestion and congregating. Retailers can utilize this data when setting up displays to ensure the space is set up efficiently.”