LiDAR stands for light detection and ranging. It is a remote sensing method used to assess the exact distance between objects on the earth’s surface. The technology was introduced in the 1960s, but it did not get popular then and remained neglected.
With the introduction of GPS, LiDAR technology has found many takers. The technology scope has not remained limited to GPS systems alone, and its application has spread across several fields. Its popularity can be determined by the fact that Luminar’s SPAC IPO shows big-money interest in LiDAR. Here we have discussed recent trends in LiDAR technology disrupting the industry:
Distributed Processing and Centralized Data
Cloud technology is slowly becoming mainstream technology as big and small businesses move their business processes to the cloud. The LiDAR point cloud processing also has a bright future. The dynamic scalability offered by the cloud allows the parallelizing of tasks.
Point clouds are a dynamic way to store data on the cloud platform. It represents data as a collection of coordinates. It can handle comprehensive data downstream for processing. The LiDAR technology acts as a middleman to convert raw data into 3D models. It allows the use of point clouds to store any data with spatial information.
The 3D point cloud refers to data point collection corresponded to the real world in three dimensions. The 3D points can be rendered as pixels on the screen for accurate representation. Point clouds can describe any earthly element in coordinates, which includes buildings, trees, and even big towns.
Safety and Robots
Autonomous car technology has led the way in generating more hope for this relatively old technology of the 1960s. The news of Luminar’s SPAC IPO created a buzz in the market about this technology. The use of LiDAR in automotive technology is not new. According to experts, the LiDAR technology is gaining traction in the robotics field too.
Safety in Dangerous Locations.
The construction industry extensively relied on robotics for all heavy tasks. According to a leading market survey, the construction robotics segment is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 8.7%between 2018 and 2022. This strong market sentiment towards LiDAR was one reason for the popularity of the news related to “Luminar’s SPAC IPO shows big-money interest in LiDAR.”
Robotics has a vital role to play in a hazardous environment. Small robots powered with LiDAR technology can provide safe and vital access to dangerous locations. Due to the current pandemic, people have less resistance to the tasks’ automation; it will make human lives safer. The construction industry’s global skills shortage will also pave to robots to improve efficiency and keep the workers safe in a hazardous environment.
Autonomous Vehicles
A large number of companies are working on making autonomous vehicles. It is based on robotic engineering to create autonomous vehicles to transport materials and supplies. LiDAR technology is used for the safe navigation of autonomous vehicles on the road.
Drones
Like ground-based robots, aerial drones are also playing a crucial role in different industries. The drones use BIM or scan to BIM to safely navigate the skies and navigate to the right locations. The aerial drone can be used to survey sites and gather different types of useful data quickly. Operators can use virtual reality and augmented reality to get a real feel of what a drone sees through its cameras.
The mobile robots used in an indoor and outdoor environment will have LiDAR technology embedded in their systems. Drones operating in the outside environment can use GPS in combination with LiDAR technology. Combining these technologies will let operators know the drone’s actual position and where it is heading.
To sum up, LiDAR’s popularity is expected to witness a tremendous rise as innovators apply this technology to make machines and devices smarter in the 21st century.
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