An Inconspicuous Trump Card in Apple's Hands: What Is LiDAR Technology Capable of?

What is LiDAR?  – Contents

1. LiDAR is an advanced scanner of the distance of objects
2. So far, LiDAR is used by Apple devices only
3. What is LiDAR good for?

LiDAR is an advanced scanner of the distance of objects

Let's discover what the term ‘LiDAR’ stands for. In fact, it is an abbreviation for ‘Light Detection and Ranging.’ ‘LiDAR’ is a sensor (or a group of sensors) whose purpose is to map nearby objects and surfaces, compile the data and work with the data. For example, transport a football directly onto your screen. But how does it do that?

The LiDAR sensor must be able to see its surroundings directly. It sends laser beams which then reflect from surfaces and return. The sensor then measures the time difference between sending and returning of the signal, making your device, a smartphone, for example, able to accurately measure the distance of a given point of an object from your device.

LiDAR is moreover faster and more accurate than ToF sensors thanks to its complex grouping of points in 3D space. This is called 3D point cloud. Compared to only one infrared pulse produced by ToF, LiDAR is able to produce more pulses of smaller scale. ToF also tends to struggle with flat surfaces, which can confuse the sensors, especially white surfaces.

So far, LiDAR is used by Apple devices only

Apple introduced LiDAR in 2020. It was first presented in iPad Pro, later in iPhone 12 Pro a 12 Pro Max, and now, they can be found in iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. All of the previously mentioned smartphones or smart devices are equipped with LiDAR sensors (located at a close distance to the back cameras). This is the secret weapon of Apple's, with the diameter of the sensor being similar to that of the LED flash.

With its screen size, the iPad seems to be the perfect candidate for AR (augmented reality). iPad's sensors are equivalent to those found in iPhones, with no compromises in quality. There is a catch, however: both the iPhone and iPad sensors are limited to five metres of the distance of the objects, yet the objects must be stationary, with no moving elements. We have yet to see whether newer generations of LiDAR can come up with even better scanning and a bigger range.

What is LiDAR good for?

Okay, that's all nice, but what is this actually good for? One of the main uses for LiDAR is the camera. Thanks to LiDAR, your camera can recognise the distance from the sensor, which enables your camera to blur the background with much higher precision. LiDAR also lowers the exposition time, which enables for much sharper images even in poor lighting conditions. And lastly, of course, we can also apply LiDAR in augmented reality — LiDAR scans objects with which you can then work in special apps, such as the 3D Scanner App.

LiDAR is a sophisticated, ambitious technology that can turn your phone into an advanced space scanner. This can be used not only for fun and games such as playing games right at your table, but also for the development of your inner space at home by scanning real-life objects, turning them into 3D objects in augmented reality so that you can easily move them in the virtual space. More apps are to come so there surely is a lot to look forward to.