LiDAR (light detection and ranging) measures distance by timing laser pulses reflected from surfaces, building a precise outline of objects around a vehicle or across a monitored area.
Safety laser scanners are the standard obstacle sensor on automated guided vehicles and autonomous forklifts, where they define protective fields that slow or stop the vehicle when something enters. Standards for driverless trucks, such as ISO 3691-4 and ANSI/ITSDF B56.5, set expectations for how that personnel detection must perform. On manned forklifts LiDAR appears less often, sometimes for rear or overhead detection.
LiDAR measures shape and distance accurately and does not need people to wear anything, but it does not recognise what an object is unless software classifies the point cloud. A scanner covers a plane or a set field of view, so objects above or below it can be missed, and dust, steam, rain and reflective or very dark surfaces can affect readings. Lenses need cleaning and fields need checking after layout changes. A safety-rated scanner on an AGV is a different product category from a warning sensor bolted to a manned truck. The AGV safety guide explains how the standards apply.