Lyft, Inc.
TUNABLE LIDAR FOR SIMULTANEOUS RANGING AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

Abstract:

In one embodiment, a method includes emitting, by an automotive vehicle, one or more light beams from a LiDAR system toward an environment surrounding the automotive vehicle, receiving one or more return light beams at the LiDAR system of the automotive vehicle, detecting one or more objects located in the environment surrounding the automotive vehicle based on the return light beams, and simultaneously measuring one or more air characteristics of the environment surrounding the automotive vehicle. The simultaneous detecting of the one or more objects and measuring of the one or more air characteristics may be performed by the LiDAR system. The method may further include sending, by the automotive vehicle, location information to a server associated with vehicle navigation, and sending information of the detected objects and measured air characteristics to the server associated with vehicle navigation, the server configured to update a vehicle-navigation map based on the information.