Imagine that you buy a new car and want to show the recording of a video or take a photo with your smartphone; But when you target the camera to the car, suddenly notes on the mobile screen Small points of color begin to appearthat develop throughout the image when you move the device. And the points do not disappear; From then on, all the photos you take with the mobile show these imperfections.
Although it looks like a horror story, it's very real, and it's just what happened to a Reddit user who recorded a video of the New Volvo Ex90And that did not take into account the great drawback of one of the star technologies of this new model: the Lidar sensor, or more specifically, the version used by Volvo and the wavelength used in this device.
The Lidar sensor is this “bump” located on the top of the new Volvo Ex90, which is present in the increase in vehicles; For example, the new Xiaomi SU7 uses the same technology and has a similar bulge. Lidar is an acronym for “light detection and going”, “detection and location of light”, and refers to a device capable of using light to determine the distance to an object, using the laser. The transmitter triggers a laser beam, this rebound against the object, and the device captures reflection; Measuring the time it took to carry out this path, the device is capable of calculating the distance to which the object is quite precise.
Lidar is not precisely new technology, but it was only recently that it has been implemented in cars to improve One of the bases of the future autonomous pipe. Creating a mesh of points, the car is capable of having an approximate idea of the environment and detecting objects such as other cars or pedestrians. The great advantage of Lidar compared to other technologies, such as the cameras used in the Tesla, is in the precision and the largest amount of data which makes it possible to obtain a three -dimensional image of what is in front of the car.
However, Lidar also brings its own drawbacks, such as high costs, or, as this Reddit user has demonstrated it, which can break the mobile camera. What is happening in the viral video has a very simple explanation: it is the same thing that we look directly at the sun. The laser rays drawn by the Lidar of the old “Fríen” the sensor of the camera, directly affecting the captured pixels.
Volvo himself has already warned of this danger, and his assistance page asks users to Do not point their cameras directly to the Lidar device; But does that mean that we can no longer take pictures of our car without losing the camera? Not really; It all depends on certain factors, some unique in this car.
To start, Volvo stresses that We must not take close photos to the device; And this is obvious in the viral video, which shows a larger amount of dead pixels when the user approaches. At a greater distance, there should be no problem, and that is why this car does not destroy the cameras because it circulates in the street. If we want to take photos nearby, Volvo recommends using protective filters in the camera, and there are already some who already have protections against this type of high intensity light sources.
Beijing (China)
A detail that may have aggravated is that the Volvo Ex90 Use a 1550 Nm wavelength laser lidarSomething relatively rare in the sector. So far, most manufacturers have opted for a wavelength of 905 Nm, which is less certain for the human eye; For this reason, individual light impulses are less powerful. Using a longer wavelength, safer for humans, Volvo may have increased laser power and improves performance, but this would cause this problem with the cameras.
Therefore, Lidar radars are Human eye insuranceEven the new ones used by Volvo; But if we want to take a picture closely, it is advisable to be careful not to get too close to the vehicle or to use a certain type of additional protection if we do not want to bring the mobile to the technical service.
