Manufacturers are installing LiDAR–systems in their cars, but they can be a danger to smartphone cameras. By the way, the system is harmless to the human eye.
What kind of technology is involved? Several manufacturers, including Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, or Rivian, are using so-called LiDAR systems in their vehicles: Lidar stands for Light Detection and Ranging and is a remote sensing technology that measures distances using laser light and calculates a 3D image of the environment (via IBM.com).
LiDAR uses very short light pulses, often in the infrared range, measures the time of flight of the reflection, and can thus determine very precise distances, shapes, and positions of objects. But this can severely damage your smartphone camera.
LiDAR technology in cars can harm your phone if you’re not careful
Why is LiDAR a problem for smartphones? A LiDAR system in cars emits very strong, focused infrared laser pulses. If a smartphone camera looks directly into this beam, the light-sensitive pixels of the sensor can be permanently “burned”. This mainly happens during close-up shots when you intentionally zoom in on the lidar module of a vehicle or aim the camera at it for an extended period.
Phone sensors are extremely sensitive and not designed to receive such concentrated laser light over a long period. The damage cannot be corrected, and ultimately, only the replacement of the damaged sensor is possible. In many cases, this is almost equivalent to buying a new phone.
There are plenty of examples of such damage. For instance, a user reported on Reddit about a destroyed camera, and other users have also commented under the post. And on X.com, a user recently posted a video showing the damage to the smartphone camera. This has been reported by, for example, the English-language magazine WCCFTech.com.
Some manufacturers, including Volvo, therefore explicitly warn against holding the smartphone camera directly towards the LiDAR system of a car. This is particularly relevant at large auto shows, where many people take photos of the vehicles with their smartphones.
Can LiDAR also be dangerous for my eyes? Many current lidar systems in vehicles use wavelengths in the near-infrared, around 1,550 nm, and the power is limited so that the permissible limits for eye safety are not exceeded. Generally, such systems pose no danger to the human eye. However, a certain caution should still be exercised, as it is still technically a laser.
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