I think that's what I'm going to do. My son can help me get a discount through 
his company. 

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of 
Cris Ali
Sent: Friday, September 16, 2022 9:19 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: How useful to blind users is the Lidar sensor?

Thanks a bundle Richard. I guess I will just go ahead and order the 14 Pro.
Cheers,

Sent from my iPhone

> On Sep 16, 2022, at 2:22 PM, Richard Turner <[email protected]> 
> wrote:
> 
> Here is an article from How To Geek prior to the release of the iPhone 12 
> Pro and Pro max, the first models to have LIDAR.
> 
> What Is LiDAR?
> A LiDAR scanner determines the distance between itself and an object by 
> monitoring how long it takes a pulse of light (often a laser) to bounce back. 
> It’s like radar, except instead of radio waves, it uses infrared light.
> 
> While radar is designed to be used across great distances, LiDAR works on a 
> smaller scale, due to the way light is absorbed by objects in its path. By 
> sending hundreds of thousands of light pulses every second, LiDAR scanners 
> can work out distances and object sizes with relative accuracy over small 
> distances.
> 
> A living room with furniture outlined by dots, showing what the iPhone LIDAR 
> scanner sees.
> 
> This data can then be used to construct 3D models, which is one of the main 
> uses for LiDAR in construction and engineering projects. You’ve likely heard 
> of 3D laser scans being used to draw up building plans—that’s LiDAR.
> 
> LiDAR actually has many uses across many industries. Archaeologists use it to 
> prepare dig sites and autonomous vehicles rely on it to construct real-time 
> 3D maps of their surroundings. LiDAR has even been used to create highly 
> realistic and accurate maps of race tracks in video games, like Project CARS. 
> Police speed guns also use LiDAR.
> 
> And now, just like the iPad Pro in March 2020, a LiDAR scanner has come to 
> Apple’s premium iPhone 12 Pro.
> 
> How the iPhone 12 Pro Uses LiDAR
> Apple uses LiDAR a bit differently than a construction site or speed gun. 
> It’s the same basic principle—bouncing light to determine distance—but on a 
> smaller scale. The LiDAR scanner in the iPhone 12 Pro (and iPad Pro) has an 
> effective range of around 16 feet (5 meters).
> 
> The primary purpose of LiDAR in the iPhone is to improve augmented reality 
> (AR) implementation. It will give apps more useful and accurate information 
> about their surroundings, for smoother, more reliable AR.
> 
> If you’re unfamiliar with the technology, AR allows developers to fuse 
> virtual objects and the real world. It uses your device’s camera and allows 
> you to play games, apply interactive filters (like those on Snapchat), or 
> preview the placement of furniture and other objects.
> 
> Pokémon Go is one example of a successful AR game that allows you to capture 
> virtual creatures in the real world. With Ikea’s wildly successful Place app, 
> you can see how most of the company’s catalog would look in your home.
> 
> LEGO is one of many companies that has also launched stand-alone products (in 
> this case, building sets) that can “come alive” via AR features when you have 
> a compatible smartphone.
> 
> While LiDAR is often used to scan buildings and other objects, the scanner on 
> the iPhone 12 Pro and iPad Pro isn’t accurate enough to scan objects 
> precisely. Sebastiaan de With, who developed the popular iPhone camera app 
> Halide, discovered this while building a proof of concept called Esper.
> 
> “Unfortunately, the mesh output by the system right now isn’t accurate enough 
> to send to a 3D printer,” de With wrote on the Halide website. “But it’s a 
> great starting point for a 3D model, since all the proportions will be very 
> accurate.”
> 
> In reality, LiDAR scanners are likely to improve on two main things: virtual 
> object placement (like shopping apps) and AR gaming. These are already 
> possible on non-LiDAR iPhones, but it adds an extra layer of accuracy to 
> things like dimensions and the precise distance to an object in a room.
> 
> You can also expect a more seamless AR experience, particularly when placing 
> virtual items in the real world. For example, the iPhone 12 Pro should be 
> better able to identify real-world items in the foreground. This should make 
> for more realistic interactions between virtual and real objects.
> 
> Virtual toys, characters, and scenery in a living room AR Experience on iPad 
> Pro.
> 
> Apple also intends to use LiDAR to improve camera performance in low light. 
> It’s implemented “focus pixels” in the iPhone XS, which is the company’s 
> brand of phase-detect autofocus (PDAF). This technology still depends on 
> light, which is why even the latest autofocus advancements don’t work all 
> that well in the dark.
> 
> By sensing the distance between your iPhone and the subject you’re taking a 
> picture of, Apple can tell the camera at what distance it should focus to get 
> the best results. This should make it much easier to take better photos with 
> your iPhone in the dark, especially when combined with Night mode.
> 
> Will LiDAR Become a Big Deal?
> Presently, only two Apple devices have a sensor. Both are also priced at a 
> premium and feature the “Pro” moniker, so LiDAR is a niche feature for now. 
> However, that doesn’t mean software will be slow to catch on. Apple’s 
> exhaustive list of software development kits (SDKs) includes ARKit, which was 
> updated to version 4.0 in June 2020.
> 
> This update rolled out new features that leverage LiDAR into ARKit, allowing 
> developers to take advantage of the iPad Pro and iPhone 12 Pro’s new sensor. 
> SDKs like this make it possible for developers to target whole families of 
> devices, even if they aren’t rocking the latest bells and whistles.
> 
> Apple’s plan likely involves putting LiDAR sensors in more devices over time, 
> while developers are busy building apps that take advantage of the improved 
> performance. Considering the company’s renewed interest in the technology 
> over the last few software releases, Apple seems to be betting big on AR.
> 
> Apple’s biggest plans for LiDAR, however, might go well beyond tablets and 
> smartphones. At least, that’s the opinion held by many analysts, as rumors 
> swell about the company’s rumored AR glasses. If such a project were to come 
> to fruition, it makes sense that accurate AR would be foundational to the 
> experience.
> 
> By encouraging developers to embrace AR, Apple can accelerate app 
> availability on a new wearable platform. A slow rollout in a few high-end 
> models follows Apple’s trend with past iPhone features, including haptic 
> feedback, facial recognition, and multiple cameras.
> 
> Integrating hardware that directly benefits AR into select devices also gives 
> the company the opportunity to fine-tune it before launching a product that 
> leans more heavily on the technology.
> 
> 
> If you are still reading, that was a very long article, but tells you all you 
> want to know and more abut LIDAR from a sighted perspective.  
> The key thing is the newer apps and phones are working better with LIDAR.  
> Several apps for the blind are taking advantage of it like Seeing AI and as 
> noted, the new Door detection feature.
> I think GoodMaps Explore is using it for their indoor navigation but I'm not 
> positive about that.  It will do nothing but continue to get better.
> 
> 
> 
> Richard
> “People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought 
> which they seldom use.” - Søren Kierkegaard
> 
> My web site: https://www.turner42.com
> 🦅
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Carolyn
> Sent: Friday, September 16, 2022 11:00 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: RE: How useful to blind users is the Lidar sensor?
> 
> And, what is it the LiDAR does? I know that Door Detector indicates door 
> location and describes environment to an extent, but what is it that LiDAR 
> does? 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of 
> Cris Ali
> Sent: Friday, September 16, 2022 11:26 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: How useful to blind users is the Lidar sensor?
> 
> Hi listers,
> I can imagine that the Lidar sensor on the iPhone has great accessibility 
> potentials. If there is any reason for me to have the urge to upgrade from XR 
> to 14 pro is to have lidar on my phone. For those of you who have phones with 
> lidar, how useful this has been so far? I am very curious.
> I hope to hear your opinions on the subject.
> Cheers
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
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