MapLab: High on Lidar

Lidar is similar to radar, except that it uses laser beams (rather than radio waves) to detect objects in space. It can produce far more detailed pictures of its subjects than its older cousin because it captures the speed at which its lasers bounce back to their origin.

The technology is a critical component of autonomous vehicles, and it has also made waves in the world of science and history. Just a few weeks ago, the New York Times ran a story about an Arizona archaeologist who discovered Mayan ruins that had never been seen by the modern world by trawling lidar imagery in the public domain.