How the LiDAR Sensor in the New iPad Can Be a Game-Changer for AR

Mar. 28, 2020

How LiDAR Works

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is a technology that is often used in automated robots and cars to map the real world. The sensor works with the help of laser beams. These laser beams are emitted into the environment by the projectors and the sensor waits for the reflection of these laser beams to return. As the reflections touch the sensor,the system calculates the amount of time each laser beam took to return to the sensorand based on this analysis a 3D map of the real world is made.

Now, decent traditional LiDAR sensors are as big as the size of a fist and are really expensive. Apple somehow was able to cram in an operational LiDAR sensor inside the iPhone 11-like camera module of the latest iPad Pro. Now, this move improves the AR capabilities of the mobile device by many folds.

AR that works with the help of computer vision (like in iPhones) depend on the movement of the camera to analyse the environment. So, to make AR work efficiently,you have to move your camera very carefully for the system to recognise flat surfaces. However, LiDAR sensors work instantly and do not require any careful movements. It starts to map the environment as soon as you open the camera and creates a 3D model of the real world in no time.

Now, LiDAR sensors in mobile devices can open up a whole range of AR possibilities and also eradicate some of the limitations of the traditional AR system. Firstly,it is way fasterthan computer vision AR and can map the world in real-time. Secondly,it is much more accuratein capturing the details of the environment. And third, unlike computer vision-dependent AR,LiDAR sensors do not need any light to capture objectsin the environment. Instead, it uses laser beams that enable the system to see things without any visible light.

These limitations are prevalent in recent mobile devices with AR capabilities, but not in the iPad Pro. As Apple was able to fit a LiDAR sensor in an iPad, it won’t be a shocker if they integrate one in their upcoming iPhones too, as the leaks suggest.

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