Getting Started with LIDAR

Learn to use some basic LIDAR devices, with an Arduino and a PC.

LIDAR units provided by DFRobot - https://www.dfrobot.com/
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TF Mini LIDAR - https://www.dfrobot.com/product-1702....
RPLIDAR - https://www.dfrobot.com/product-1125....

Today I’ll be introducing two inexpensive LIDAR devices that you can start experimenting with. These devices were provided courtesy of DFRobot, they are VERY inexpensive considering their capabilities. Visit their store at https://www.dfrobot.com/ to see these and other LIDAR units.

The first device is the TF Mini, a simple stationary LIDAR device that uses a focused infrared beam to accurately measure distances from 30 cm to 12 meters (1 to 40 feet). This compact and easy-to-use unit contains its own processor and can scan up to 100 times a seconds.

I’ll show you how the TF Mini is configured and how to use it with an Arduino, it makes a great addition to a robot and can outperform the usual ultrasonic sensors in many ways.

The second device is no less than amazing, it’s the RPLIDAR device from Robo Peak. This s a full 360-degree scanning LIDAR unit, just like you’ve seen on the top of self-driving vehicles. The possibilities in robotics for a device like this are literally endless.

I’ll first test out my RPLIDAR using a PC and some scanning software. After that, I’ll show you the basics of hooking it up to an Arduino and we’ll run a little demo sketch.

Here is what we will be covering today:

00:00 - Introduction
03:30 - Two LIDAR Devices
06:08 - How LIDAR works
09:02 - LIDAR vs. other technologies
12:11 - TF Mini LIDAR
13:52 - Logic Level (Voltage) Converters
17:23 - TF Mini with Arduino
23:37 - RPLIDAR
25:43 - RPLIDAR Scanning Demo
31:40 - RPLIDAR with Arduino