Lidar Resistant to Interference and Hacking

Lidar technology enables the detection of object ranges – a key enabler for fields such as autonomous vehicle navigation and terrain mapping. As such systems become more prevalent, challenges associated with jamming, hacking, and mutual interference become increasingly crucial to tackle. Notably, incoherent or time-of-flight (TOF) lidars are particularly susceptible to being spoofed or hacked. Current lidar systems often struggle to differentiate between true and false return signals, rendering them susceptible to interference and tampering. This vulnerability may lead to inaccurate readings and pose significant risks, particularly in sensitive applications like autonomous driving. The lack of a robust differentiation mechanism in the face of potential hacking underscores the need for enhanced security features within lidar systems.

Technology Description

This lidar system using light to determine the distance to an object can be leveraged for autonomous vehicle navigation and detailed terrain mapping. Beyond range, it can also detect target speed, optical reflectivity, and spectroscopic signature. This lidar system employs modulation or encoding in each transmitted pulse to make the system more resistant to jamming and hacking, especially in environments where multiple lidars are operating. What sets this technology apart is the integrated processor that discriminates true return signals from false ones on the basis of the modulation of the transmitted pulses. During a time-of-flight (TOF) lidar operation, the presence of this modulation marks the return signal as genuine, while its absence indicates a false return. This distinguishing feature significantly enhances the lidar's resistance to interference, improving its reliability and security.