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Which emerging perimeter security option is best for your client or application? By Paul Rothman
hile both are finding massive demand in the self-driving automotive industry, the advances being made in radar and LiDAR technologies are having a discernable effect on the perimeter surveillance industry, where both technologies are gaining momentum as viable alternatives or enhancements for detection along vast perimeters. To learn more about these two technologies and their applications, SD&I caught up with security industry technology guru and frequent contributor Steve Surfaro and Magos Systems America General Manager Yaron Zussman to weigh the benefits of each in this exclusive "technology toeto-toe." Which one is right for your client's application is - of course - up to you to decide.
The Technology Defined
Radar stands for "Radio Detection and Ranging" - utilizing radio frequency waves to detect targets. At its core, radar is an object detection sensor using radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction and speed of objects. "This means radar can detect anything from an aircraft approaching an airport terminal to a human approaching a power plant fence line," Zussman says. "Ground-based radar solutions provide 24/7, 360-degree coverage of any protected site, allowing for cost-effective, volumetric perimeter protection in all weather and lighting conditions."
LiDAR (light imaging, detection, and ranging) uses pulsed laser light to measure distances in a similar way. "LiDAR bounces out laser beams, measures how long it takes for the light to hit an object or surface, calculating the distance to the object the light just hit and forming data points," Surfaro says. "Millions of those data points, called 'point clouds' are processed as a 3D visualization in seconds, rendering accurate object displays - all without video surveillance cameras. Unlike radar or sound waves, LiDAR does not dissipate as it travels back to its scanner."
In general, LiDAR costs more than an average ground-based radar system. Both technologies can be easily mounted onto existing structures, eliminating the need to dig trenches and run excess cabling.
Radar can also be low-power consumption devices; and some can be solar-powered.
Long-Range Detection
As Zussman explains, a single ground-based radar can reach up to 100 degrees in azimuth and 30 degrees in elevation - such expansive azimuth and elevation capabilities enable...