Waymo will sell its lidar sensors to companies outside of self-driving cars

Alphabet subsidiary Waymo announced today that it is going to let companies use its powerful sensor technology for purposes other than self-driving vehicles. It will start by selling one of its lidars: a 3D perimeter sensor that can measure distance by sending out pulses of laser light called the Laser Bear Honeycomb. The sensor, which will only be available to select partners of Waymo, is typically used on the bumpers of autonomous vehicles. Waymo's Laser Bear Honeycomb is a tool capable of sensing its environment. It has a vertical field of view (FOV) of 95 degrees -- significantly wider than the standard lidar's 30-degree FOV -- and a 360-degree horizontal view.