Smartphones have a so-called LIDAR scanner built into the camera group. LiDAR stands for 'Light Detection and Ranging' and uses laser beams to measure distances and depth.
So it is possible to scan environments and create a map from them.
This in turn is important for Augmented Reality. For example, to place virtual furniture in your room. But LIDAR technology can be useful not only for AR, but also for photography, where it can be a useful tool to focus even better.
LIDAR can operate at a range of up to 5 meters for smartphones. By sending out several laser beams, scenes can thus be better mapped and understood. It remains to be seen how the technology will be used in smartphones such as the Apple iPhone 12.
It is also possible that the technology will only experience its breakthrough with the presentation of the Apple Glasses, since with the intelligent glasses AR will also have a greater impact on everyday life than is currently the case.
