Introduction to LiDAR

Advantages of LiDAR

High-resolution

LiDAR works in the optical band, and the frequency is 2 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than that of the microwave. Therefore, compared with microwave radar, LiDAR has extremely high range resolution, angular resolution, and velocity resolution.

Strong anti-interference ability

The laser has a short wavelength, can emit a laser beam with a very small divergence angle, has a small multipath effect (will not form a directional emission, and produce a multipath effect with microwave or millimeter waves), and can detect low-altitude or ultra-low-altitude targets.

Unaffected by light

LiDAR can perform detection tasks around the clock. It only needs to emit its own laser beam and obtain target information by detecting the echo signal of the emitted laser beam.

Small size and light weight

Generally, the volume of ordinary microwave radar is huge, the mass of the whole system is recorded in tons, and the diameter of the optical antenna can reach several meters or even tens of meters. The LiDAR is much lighter and more dexterous, and the appearance is only centimeter-level. Moreover, the structure of the LiDAR is relatively simple, the maintenance is convenient, and the operation is easier.

Application of LiDAR in the field of robotics

After several years of development, laser radar technology has gradually developed laser tracking, laser speed measurement, laser scanning imaging, laser Doppler imaging, and other technologies from the initial laser ranging technology. Therefore, various types of laser radar ( Laser ranging sensors) are widely used in various fields. LiDAR was not well known to the public many years ago. Until the rise of robots and unmanned driving technology in recent years, LiDAR has gradually entered people’s field of vision. In the beginning, LiDAR was not only born for robots (including unmanned driving), it was also widely used in VR/AR, smart transportation, ocean exploration, and fishery resource monitoring, 3D printing, and other fields.

If the robot is allowed to recognize objects, walk, avoid obstacles, etc., it first needs to provide the robot with LiDAR technology to help the robot map, determine its own positioning and perceive the surrounding environment, and locate the surrounding objects. Take the sweeping robot as an example. The sweeping robot is currently the most widely used field of LiDAR. The LiDAR and SLAM algorithm can allow the sweeping robot to perform intelligent cleaning in the room, drawing the map during the cleaning process, and realizing the transmission to the mobile phone, even if the user If you are not at home, you can check the cleaning situation through your mobile phone and arrange cleaning in other places.