Lidar laser-sensing technology – from self-driving cars to dance contests

An attendee visiting the Velodyne booth featuring Lidar sensor technology at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company unveiled its smallest sensor to date called Velabit at a price tag of US$100 (RM410). — AFP

DETROIT/LAS VEGAS: Self-driving cars employ lidar, a remote sensing technology using pulsed laser light the way radar uses radio waves, and lidar makers waiting for the automotive market to take off are courting new customers who would use the technology for everything from monitoring cattle to helping a disc jockey synchronise dance music.

Ouster, a San Francisco tech startup, is tapping new markets including delivery robots, disaster relief and even an approach from the disc jockey. Another Bay area startup, AEye, is talking to a bank that wants to monitor cattle growth to ensure the financial health of a rancher who is a loan customer.