LiDAR is a remote sensing technology that measures distances by illuminating a target with laser light and then analyzing the reflected light. Originally developed in the 1960s, LiDAR has matured significantly and now has widespread applications, ranging from geospatial mapping and environmental monitoring to autonomous vehicles and robotics.

A LiDAR sensor device uses a laser to emit a pulsed or continuous beam of light towards an area that is being monitored. The light strikes objects in the environment, such as a surface, particle, or molecule, and is then reflected back to the LiDAR system. By precisely measuring the time that it takes for the light to travel to the target and back (time-of-flight), the system can calculate the distance between the LiDAR sensor and the target.