Livox, a DJI-backed startup, unveiled a new lidar technology at CES 2020. The new technology uses a novel scanning pattern that reduces blind spots, as explained below. On top of that, it’s a lot smaller and cheaper than traditional lidar. DJI has been adding lidar to its drones, as shown by the recent patent filings. An affordable lidar drone is raising the bar for other drone manufacturers and lowering the barrier to entry for companies working in surveying, 3D mapping, search & rescue, and just plain flying.

A Livox Mid-40 or Mid-100 sensor uses a flower-like scanning pattern (top row) to create a 3D image of the surrounding environment. Conventional lidar sensors use horizontal linear scanning (bottom row), which can run the risk of blind spots, regardless of how long the scan lasts.