Is LiDAR the next big advancement in digital health?
LiDAR may be the next big advancement in digital health. Here’s what to know about LiDAR and its role in medicine.
What is LiDAR?
LiDAR, which stands for “Light detection and ranging” is not a new technology, although its recent addition to the plethora of sensors available on the Apple iPhone 12 Pro/iPad Pro has caused a recent buzz. LiDAR works by determining the distance between itself and an object by monitoring how long it takes a pulse of light (often a laser) to bounce back. This is similar to how radar works (but with infrared light instead of radio waves). I like to think of LiDAR as a bat that uses light instead of sound.
LiDAR is used in a variety of applications, from self-driving cars to drones to gaming technology.
LiDAR on the iPhone
LiDAR was recently released on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPad Pro. It has an effective range of 16 feet, sending out waves of infrared light pulses and measuring each one with its sensor. This creates a field of points, mapping distances and creating…
