What is iPhone 12 Pro Max's LIDAR Sensor

Apple introduced iPhone 12, the most anticipated smartphone family of the year, at the Hi, Speed event held on October 13 . The initial models of the iPhone 12 family, which come in two different segments, were determined as iPhone 12 mini and standard iPhone 12. The models, which are the upper segment, appeared with the "Pro" tag, just like last year. One of the most important differences of iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max was the LIDAR sensor included in the rear camera.

The LIDAR sensor appeared for the first time on the previously introduced iPad Pro 2020 tablet. LIDAR sensor, which can detect the environment and objects and model them in 3D in the memory of the phone, is actually a technology that has been used in scientific studies for years. For example, archaeologists can fly drones with LIDAR cameras over the rainforest and quickly reveal ancient cities under the forests. Although the sensor on the iPhone 12 Pro is not that advanced, it has important functions.

What is LiDAR?

LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging , is a technology that works with 3D laser recognition technique. This sensor, which has been used in various sectors since the 1960s, was initially used to map difficult-to-reach areas for military purposes. Then, in recent years, it was used by autonomous cars to detect their environment and pedestrians. Another daily usage area of LIDAR is smart vacuum cleaners. Thanks to this sensor, vacuum cleaners that produce a 3D digital copy of the house can find their way more easily.

Actually, LiDAR's working logic is quite simple. This sensor, which emits laser rays invisible to the human eye, enables the identification of environmental factors and the distance between the surrounding objects and the source. We can say that LiDAR works somewhat in the same way as the sonar radar system used by bats to find direction .

As technology develops, the areas where this system can be used continue to increase. Slowly started to be used in smaller devices such as GPS systems and tablets, LiDAR finally appeared in the camera of the Apple iPhone 12 Max Pro phone and also took a place in smartphones.

The structure of LiDAR sensors used for different purposes is of course different from each other. It would be wrong to expect the LiDAR sensors to map a large area and a small room to be the same. Dimensions and light strength vary according to their usage areas.

Until recently, most of the LiDAR sensors used were in the shape of a radar dish and were moving around to create 3D maps by scanning. Since such a large thing would not be suitable for mobile devices at all, LiDAR sensors were redesigned as a smaller, non-moving system , and began to be installed in cars, smart home appliances and phones with electronic device

We were familiar with ToF, or Time of Flight sensors, previously used in high-end phones . This sensor was able to detect objects around and measure distance with the infrared lights emitted . In this way, phones with large cameras could both measure the depth of the scene and create a bokeh effect in photos.

It was clear yesterday that the LiDAR Sensor technology used in Apple, iPhone Pro Max and iPad Pro 2020 will take this one click further. One of the main reasons for this is, according to Apple, the need for a smart scanner technology in phones. For this reason, infrared technology has been left behind and laser beams have now been used.

The LiDAR sensor delivers the best performance on the iPad Pro 2020 for room-sized widths . So what can we do with iPhone 12 Pro Max phones thanks to this technology ? We have said that LiDAR sensor technology has just begun to be used in mobile devices. Therefore, our expectations from this technology should not be too great.

Among the best things to do with the LiDAR sensor right now are games and shopping apps based on augmented reality. Apple showed a preview of several apps that will work with the LiDAR sensor later this year after the iPhone 12 Pro Max was released.