Mechanical vs. Solid-State LiDAR: Advantages and Disadvantages

As one of the most critical sensors in robotics and autonomous driving, LiDAR plays an indispensable role in enabling machines to perceive their environment. Based on whether they contain moving mechanical components, LiDAR systems can be broadly divided into mechanical and solid-state types. Although solid-state LiDAR is often regarded as the future direction of the industry, mechanical LiDAR continues to dominate the market today.

Mechanical LiDAR relies on rotating components to control the emission angle of the laser. Typically composed of photodiodes, MEMS mirrors, and laser transmit/receive units, its defining feature is the ability to achieve full 360-degree scanning. Thanks to this rotating mechanism, a single unit mounted on the roof of a robot or vehicle can capture a complete view of the surroundings. Mechanical LiDAR is also able to deliver higher measurement accuracy and, importantly, can safely use higher pulse powers. Because the laser beam is distributed across a rotating field of view, the energy concentrated in any given direction is minimal at a specific moment, reducing risks to human eyes while allowing stronger return signals and longer detection ranges. However, these advantages come at the cost of larger size, higher price, and reliance on moving parts, which are subject to wear and limit overall reliability.

Solid-state LiDAR takes a fundamentally different approach by eliminating mechanical rotation altogether. Instead, it adjusts laser emission angles through electronic components such as optical phased arrays, photonic integrated circuits, and far-field radiation control. This design makes solid-state LiDAR much smaller, easier to mass-produce, and less expensive. Its compact size has clear appeal for applications that demand miniaturization, and regulatory standards permit higher emission power for fixed-beam systems while maintaining eye safety. Yet solid-state technology still faces significant limitations. Its field of view is typically capped at 120 degrees, meaning that in autonomous driving, at least four sensors would be required to replicate the coverage of a single mechanical LiDAR unit. This not only raises integration complexity but also offsets some of the cost advantages. More importantly, solid-state designs continue to struggle with long-range detection. MEMS mirrors cannot project sufficient laser power over extended distances, OPA beams are prone to divergence, and flash LiDAR spreads light across the entire field, leaving only a fraction of energy to reach any given point. As a result, achieving long range, high resolution, and wide coverage simultaneously remains a major technical hurdle.

Taken together, solid-state LiDAR’s strengths lie in cost reduction, compact design, and scalability, while mechanical LiDAR retains clear advantages in range, resolution, and full-field sensing. Solid-state units are well-positioned to become the mainstream in the long term, but widespread adoption still faces considerable challenges. Mechanical LiDAR, by virtue of its unique benefits, is expected to continue holding an important share of the market for the foreseeable future.

Keywords: Lidar,Industry Knowledge

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