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0 pointsnl9y ago0 comments

Not anymore.

Complete LIDAR units are already available for under $500[1]. There are other, cheaper sensors which aren't as good as full LIDAR but are available for under $100[2].

There are plenty of other options hitting the market soon too[3]

[1] http://www.teraranger.com/products/teraranger-lidar/

[2] https://www.pulsedlight3d.com/

[3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/12/0...

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Animats9y ago

It's not quite here yet. I've been following this since the DARPA Grand Challenge, when we had to use a huge SICK LMS just to get a line scanner. There are now several affordable indoor line scanners. Outdoor sunlight-tolerant systems cost more. 3D scanners, which scan in multiple planes, are still expensive. There are some MEMS devices coming along. Flash LIDAR will probably win out in the end, once someone does the sensor IC development to get the price down from $100K.

Back in 2003, I dragged a VC down to see Advanced Scientific Concepts in Santa Barbara. They make the best flash LIDAR. But they were happy being a DoD and aerospace contractor, selling expensive one-offs. The Dragon spacecraft uses an ASC flash LIDAR to dock with the space station. DARPA buys their units. But their price point is around $100K. There's no inherent reason it has to be that expensive, but it takes custom sensor ICs made in small quantities. Last March, Continental AG (German tire/brake/auto parts company) bought the technology from ASC.[1] We'll have to see how that works out. This is the right technology if the price point can be brought down.

[1] http://www.spar3d.com/news/lidar/flash-lidar-company-acquire...

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