What is Lidar? Learn How Lidar Works

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Lidar 101

What is Lidar?

Lidar is an acronym for “light detection and ranging.” It is sometimes called “laser scanning” or “3D scanning.” The technology uses eye-safe laser beams to create a 3D representation of the surveyed environment.

How Does Lidar Work?

A typical lidar sensor emits pulsed light waves into the surrounding environment.
These pulses bounce off surrounding objects and return to the sensor.
The sensor uses the time it took for each pulse to return to the sensor to calculate the distance it traveled.

Repeating this process millions of times per second creates a precise, real-time 3D map of the environment. An onboard computer can utilize this map for safe navigation.

How Does Lidar keep Us Safe?

Watch this video to learn all about the technology and how it can advance roadway safety, prevent crashes and save lives.

Gain Further Insight About Velodyne’s Lidar Technology

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SAE Podcast Interviews Anand Gopalan on Velodyne’s Mission to Democratize Lidar

Episode 30 of the SAE podcast interviews Anand Gopalan, CEO of Velodyne Lidar. The episode discusses lidar, how Velodyne became the leader, and more.

PARIFEX Uses Velodyne’s Lidar to Help Improve Roadway Safety

PARIFEX discusses how their traffic monitoring solutions, using Velodyne’s lidar sensors, enable highly accurate, reliable speed enforcement measurement.

Lidar Ready to Help Decrease Pedestrian Roadway Perils

Velodyne’s lidar sensors can help advance pedestrian safety with autonomous vehicles and ADAS, and intelligent transportation systems.

Velodyne Lidar’s Alpha Prime Ready for Prime Time

Velodyne Lidar’s Alpha Prime is a next generation lidar sensor that utilizes Velodyne’s 360-degree surround-view perception technology to support autonomous mobility.

Top 3 Takeaways from the Velodyne–DGWorld Webinar

Velodyne Lidar and DGWorld discuss autonomy in seaports and deploying 3D lidar to improve logistics in seaport, marine and intermodal terminal operations.

Smart, Powerful Lidar Solutions

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