LIDAR

New Jersey lawmakers are considering a bill that could require autonomous vehicles to use lidar and radar sensors, challenging Tesla's camera-only approach. The law aims to resolve a long-standing debate over whether cameras alone are sufficient for safe driverless operation.

A new tool called Cool Routes, developed by Arizona State University, helps pedestrians find cooler, shadier walking paths in cities by calculating heat exposure using factors like shade and weather data. The tool aims to address the urban heat island effect, which makes walking in cities dangerously hot, and is open-sourced for broader use.

Plug-in solar panels (no electrician needed) are now legal in the UK and will go on sale soon. Helios uses UK government LIDAR data to estimate electricity generation for specific addresses, though it has limitations in areas outside LIDAR coverage and may miss recent developments or tree shading.

Researchers have enabled hidden-object imaging on consumer LiDAR by fusing multiple frames with a motion-based model. This achievement allows for three-dimensional reconstruction, tracking and localization using low-cost smartphone sensors. The study was published in Nature.

Ouster's new color lidar sensor is set to replace cameras and can capture depth and image data simultaneously. This technology has been a long-sought goal in the industry. Ouster CEO Angus Pacala discussed this development with TechCrunch.

General Motors' Super Cruise hands-free driving system, introduced in 2017, has reached one billion driven miles across 750,000 vehicles in the US and Canada. The system uses geofencing, lidar-scanned highways, and a driver-facing infrared camera to ensure safety. GM reports a 40% renewal rate for Super Cruise, with Rashed Haq, GM's VP of autonomous vehicles, comparing its user retention to a 'toothbrush test' due to high customer loyalty.