Neff Todd. The Laser That’s Changing the World: The Amazing Stories behind Lidar, from 3D Mapping to Self-Driving Cars

Prometheus Books, 2018. — 314 p. — ISBN 9781633884663, 163388466X.Tells the story of a laser technology that will have a big impact on society and the brilliant innovators responsible for its development.
Lidar–a technology evolved from radar, but using laser light rather than microwaves – has found an astounding range of applications, none more prominent than its crucial role in enabling self-driving cars. This accessible introduction to a fascinating and increasingly vital technology focuses on the engaging human stories of lidar's innovators as they advance and adapt it to better understand air, water, ice and Earth - not to mention mapping Mars and Mercury, spotting incoming nuclear warheads, and avoiding pedestrians and cyclists on city streets.Hutchie
Enter the Laser
Into Thin Air
Plane Crashes, Hailstorms, and Distant Planets
Take the Plunge
Disco Ball in Space
Zapping Mars, Moon, Mercury, and Even Earth
Land and Ice
Trees and Archaeological Treasures
Glass Half Full
Firepond
Map Quest
Atoms to Bytes
Hit the Road (Slowly)
Debacle in the Desert
The Road Ahead
Glue, Drones, and Radioactive PipesNotes