Last week, someone reported that their iPhone camera was damaged by a Luminar Iris laser scanner onboard the Volvo EX90. This was reported on Facebook, and as you might imagine, spurred all sorts of different opinions ranging from, “do you look straight into the sun as well?” and “The manufacturer has a duty to notify consumers of the risk.” From the description, it sounds like the iPhone owner was taking close up pictures of the scanner. For many of us, it will not come as a surprise that high powered lasers are capable of damages sensitive photon sensors, but perhaps we can take this opportunity to make a public service announcement – do not take close up photos of laser scanners!
“2023 Volvo EX90 Excellence (China) rear view” by Andra Febrian is licensed under CC BY 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
The Luminar Iris uses a single 1550nm fiber laser. This wavelength is in the near-infrared (NIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum – invisible to the human eye. So, you are not going to know whether the laser scanner you are photographing is on or off.
The 1550nm wavelength has many favorable properties. The human eye is mostly sensitive to light in the visible spectrum (roughly 400-700nm) and less sensitive to NIR light. Because 1550nm is at a safer wavelength for the human eye, it can operate at higher power. The Luminar Iris operates with 1,000,000x pulse energy of 905nm while staying eye-safe. Higher power means longer ranges, an important property for autonomous vehicles.
The trade-off is that 1500nm systems require specialized photo detectors, like Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs), making them more expensive.
Anyways, please do not take pictures of laser scanners and avoid looking into the sun! Be safe out there.
For an entertaining read, check the original Facebook post.
For more information about Luminar and the Volvo EX90, read our post Luminar Supplies Volvo EX90.
