Why is laser radar sometimes referred to as “lidar” or “ladar”?
(A)Lidar stands for “Light Detection And Ranging”. Ladar stands for Laser Detection And Ranging. A laser light beam is a pure color of light (red, green, blue, etc.). Police laser radar transmits in the infrared (IR) region at a wavelength of about 905 nanometers (invisible to the eye). The term lidar really does not apply to police laser radar, but is used because of the stigma associated with radiation.
