Lidars, an acronym for ‘light detection and ranging’, operate at a much shorter wavelength than radars, allowing for the creation of higher-resolution 3D maps of their surroundings. With around 2 million lidar units shipped in 2024, the market is still small, but growing quickly. Jefferies estimates that total shipped units will grow at a CAGR of 60% through 2030 to nearly 40 million units. With production scaling, the cost per unit is decreasing, with some lidars costing as little as USD 200. While applications for automotive (e.g., autonomous vehicles) will likely remain the main end market, other applications are expected to grow to nearly a quarter of shipments by 2030. Lidars are also likely to play a key role in robotic applications, from humanoids to autonomous lawnmowers, where detailed perception of the nearby environment is crucial for obstacle avoidance. A testament to its current applications, an autonomous mower equipped with a 360 degrees lidar now costs around EUR 1,000. Colleagues just published an article about humanoids and vision systems of robots: Are humanoids the future of industrial automation? | Robeco Global.
Source: Jefferies, June 2025.