New Coherent LiDAR System Measures Depth, Velocity, and Polarization Simultaneously, Expanding 3D Sensing Capabilities

June 28, 2026

Lidar News USA

Overview

Researchers have developed a novel coherent LiDAR system that simultaneously measures depth, velocity, and polarization properties, building on coherent optical modem technology used in high-speed telecommunications. This breakthrough promises to provide richer and more precise information for autonomous vehicles and other 3D sensing applications, significantly enhancing environmental perception capabilities.

In Depth

Key Findings

Researchers have developed an innovative coherent LiDAR system capable of simultaneously measuring three crucial pieces of information: depth, velocity, and polarization properties. This new system, which applies coherent optical modem technology widely used in high-speed telecommunications, holds the potential to dramatically enhance environmental perception capabilities for autonomous vehicles and other advanced 3D sensing applications.

Technical and Market Details

While traditional LiDAR systems primarily measure depth information (distance to an object), this new coherent LiDAR leverages optical interference to acquire highly accurate relative velocity (using the Doppler effect) and polarization information (indicating surface properties of objects) in addition to distance, all at the same time. This capability allows for the addition of temporal and material-specific data to the 3D information captured by LiDAR, enabling the construction of richer environmental models.

Coherent optical modem technology, by utilizing the phase information of light, offers a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and enables high-precision measurements over long distances. Applying this to LiDAR allows, for example, autonomous vehicles to not only determine the distance to a vehicle or pedestrian ahead but also gather more detailed information such as their speed, direction of movement, and even road conditions or the presence of puddles. This contributes to improved visibility in adverse weather conditions and safer decision-making in complex traffic scenarios. Furthermore, integration with technologies like silicon photonics is expected to lead to miniaturization and cost reduction of LiDAR units.

Background and Industry Context

As autonomous driving technology advances, LiDAR sensors are positioned as one of the primary sensors for environmental perception. However, conventional LiDAR has faced challenges such as degraded performance in adverse weather and a lack of direct velocity information. Coherent LiDAR is attracting attention as a next-generation technology to overcome these issues, with particular interest from automotive manufacturers and robotics companies. The growing demand for 3D sensing in various fields, including industrial robots, drones, and smart infrastructure, is also driving the market adoption of this technology.

Strategic Significance and Outlook

The development of this new coherent LiDAR system represents a major breakthrough in 3D sensing technology. The ability to acquire multi-dimensional information—depth, velocity, and polarization—in real-time not only enhances the safety and reliability of autonomous vehicles but also has the potential to create new applications across a wide range of fields, including smart city management, precision agriculture, medical imaging, and security surveillance. As this technology undergoes further miniaturization, cost reduction, and mass production, its adoption is expected to accelerate across various industries, contributing to the realization of a more intelligent society.

Source: https://lidarnews.com/new-coherent-lidar-expands-what-3d-sensing-can-see/

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