In the current era of rapid technological development, the demand for smart devices to perceive their surrounding environment is increasing day by day. Sensors and LiDAR, as the two key technologies in the field of intelligent perception, are like two brilliant twin stars, illuminating the path forward in the era of intelligence. The close connection between the two has also become an important force driving technological progress.
Sensors, as a large and diverse family, are widely used in various fields. From smartphones in daily life, to automation equipment in industrial production, to aircraft in the aerospace field, sensors are everywhere. They are like the "tentacles" of smart devices, capable of keenly sensing changes in various physical quantities, chemical quantities, and biomass, such as temperature, pressure, humidity, light intensity, gas concentration, etc., and converting this information into electrical signals or other processable forms, providing basic data for device decision-making. For example, in the safety system of a car, acceleration sensors and gyroscope sensors can monitor the vehicle's motion status in real time. When a collision or loss of control is detected, the airbag and braking system are quickly triggered to ensure the safety of the driver and passengers.
Lidar, also known as "Light Detection and Ranging", is a dazzling new star in the sensor family. It accurately calculates the distance of the target object by emitting a laser beam and measuring the time from emission to reflection of the laser beam. Lidar can emit tens of thousands of laser pulses per second, which are reflected back upon encountering an object and captured by the lidar receiver. By analyzing these reflected signals, LiDAR can not only obtain distance information of target objects, but also construct high-precision 3D point cloud maps of the surrounding environment, like drawing an accurate "environmental map" for smart devices. In the field of autonomous driving, LiDAR plays a crucial role. It can clearly identify vehicles, pedestrians, obstacles, traffic signs and markings on the road, provide accurate environmental perception for autonomous vehicle, and help vehicles make safe and reasonable driving decisions. In the complex urban road environment, the laser radar can accurately detect the pedestrians or vehicles that suddenly appear in front from a long distance, and timely remind the auto drive system to take braking or avoidance measures to effectively avoid traffic accidents.
From a functional perspective, sensors and LiDAR have both overlap and unique features. They are all committed to providing information about the surrounding environment for smart devices, but the sensing range of sensors is broader and can cover a variety of different types of information; Lidar, on the other hand, focuses on distance measurement and 3D environment modeling, and has significant advantages in accuracy and spatial resolution. In practical applications, the two often complement each other, learning from each other's strengths and weaknesses. In intelligent transportation systems, in addition to the high-precision distance and three-dimensional environmental information provided by LiDAR, various sensors also need to work together. By using pressure sensors on the vehicle to monitor tire pressure, temperature sensors to monitor engine temperature, ultrasonic sensors to assist parking, etc., the information provided by these sensors is combined with LiDAR data to provide comprehensive support for the safe and efficient operation of the vehicle. In the flight control system of drones, LiDAR is used to accurately measure the distance between the drone and surrounding obstacles, achieving obstacle avoidance function; Inertial sensors monitor the attitude and acceleration of the drone in real time to ensure stable flight. The two work together to enable drones to freely shuttle in complex environments and complete various tasks.
Sensors and LiDAR together form the core of intelligent perception. They complement each other in functionality and work together in applications, endowing smart devices with powerful environmental perception capabilities. With the continuous advancement of technology, sensors and LiDAR technology are also constantly innovating and developing. We believe that in the future, they will play an important role in more fields, bringing more convenience and surprises to people's lives, and jointly promoting the intelligent era to new heights.