Lidar Prices a Hurdle for Self-Driving Cars

choi

Nick Shchetko, A Hurdle for Self-Driving Cars; Lidar costs must come down before autonomous cars hit roads en masse. Wall Street Journal, July 22, 2014.
online.wsj.com/articles/laser-eyes-pose-price-hurdle-for-driverless-cars-1405969441

Quote:

“experts say the size and cost of the laser-powered sensors that acts as the cars' eyes will have to shrink. View Graphics Today, an advanced lidar (for light detection and ranging) system for self-driving cars costs between $30,000 and $85,000 apiece

“Lidar works similar to radar, shooting bursts of energy at a target and measuring the return time to calculate the distance. Radar uses microwave pulses; lidar uses laser beams

“In driverless-car prototypes, lidar is used in combination with other sensors, including radar and cameras. Lidar cannot detect colors, so cameras are necessary to ‘read’ traffic lights [red, yellow, or green] and some signs.

"Lidar was developed in the 1960s * * * Many police 'radar guns' actually use lidar. * * * Simpler, less-expensive lidars are already making their way into some cars, usually as an optional feature in premium models for advanced cruise-control systems or emergency stopping.

My comment:
(a) There is no need to read the rest of the text.
(b) View the graphic first, before even reading quotation.