4. Application examples

4.1 LiDAR for environmental imaging

The telecoms boom followed by the bursting of the Internet bubble in the early 2000s led to the use of fiber laser sources (more compact and reliable) for LiDARs. These imaging systems are deployed to telemeter objects and perform functions such as topographic surveys, obstacle detection for navigation, penetration under foliage for archaeology, or decamouflage for defense applications. Several business sectors, such as autonomous vehicles, are set to benefit from the lower cost of LiDARs, with mass production of systems on the way. LiDAR is becoming an indispensable sensor for imaging an environment. It is less sensitive than "video" sensors to atmospheric conditions. It measures distance and precisely geolocalizes an obstacle without interfering...