Automobiles are among the most complex products that humanity has ever made. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and, moreover, self-driving cars are even more sophisticated. Included technologies are: state-of-the-art software, AI mechanics, processors and hardware, and sensors that feed all algorithms with information about the environment.
Lidar is considered a primary sensor when it comes to self-driving cars. Production cars rely on cameras and radars basically due to their low price and robustness. We even may notice an indirect challenge between lidars and radars. Lidar developers are working on getting lidars cheaper and more reliable while keeping lidar’s ability to provide accurate and detailed data. On the other hand, radar developers are improving radars’ functionality to match lidar’s detailed output.