Demo: ��LiDAR: An Adaptive High-Resolution Panoramic LiDAR System

We present αLiDAR, an innovative LiDAR system that incorporates a controllable active rotational mechanism to broaden the field of view (FOV), enhance resolution, and provide adaptable focusing. This system addresses the inherent limitations of traditional LiDAR sensors, such as narrow FOV, low resolution, and lack of flexible focusing capability. By scanning blind spots and dynamically focusing on areas of interest, αLiDAR significantly surpasses conventional LiDAR sensors. Our prototypes, tested under varied real-world conditions, have demonstrated marked improvements in typical LiDAR applications. Specifically, αLiDAR enhances 3D mapping accuracy, coverage, and density by factors of 8.5, 2, and 1.6, respectively. Furthermore, the adaptive rotational mechanism of αLiDAR extends the effective sensing distance by 1.8× and increases object detection by 1.9×. To see αLiDAR in action, visit our video demonstration at https://youtu.be/x4zc_I_xTaw. Both the hardware and software implementations of αLiDAR are open-sourced at https://github.com/HViktorTsoi/alpha_lidar.