by Nathaniel Parga (Author)
LiDAR, typically used as an acronym for " light detection and ranging", is essentially a sonar that uses pulsed laser waves to map the distance to surrounding objects. It is used by a large number of autonomous vehicles to navigate environments in real-time.
This tutorial text aims to introduce a technical but nonspecialist reader to autonomous vehicle lidar, starting from the fundamental physics of lidar and motivation for its application to autonomous vehicle systems. We will then introduce a time of flight design concept, following the light pathway through the source and transmitter optics to the photodetector. The next two distinct timing methods will be introduced, followed up by a brief discussion of beam steering. After finishing this text, the reader should be prepared to enter into laboratory explorations on the topic.