Sensors Online has a nice summary of the current product management view for LiDAR manufacturers. They spell out these five concerns:
- Size
- Cost
- Reliability
- Range
- Eye Safety
Conspicuously missing from the list (pun not intended) is integrity of the data.
Reliability in the above list refers only to environmental risks (“replace the moving parts with a solid-state alternative with each component able to meet Grade 1 temperature and qualification”) instead of the sort of overconfidence in imagery I’ve spoken about in the past (August 2014 “Babar-ians at the Gate: Data Protection at Massive Scale,” Blackhat USA)
To be fair, the article is kind of a hidden marketing pitch, written by a company promoting its new line of products:
…patented flip-chip, back-emitting VCSEL arrays that combine high pulsed power arrays, integrated micro-optics, and electronic beam steering on a chip.
So it makes sense they aren’t going to talk about the more fundamental flaws in LiDAR that their company/product isn’t solving.