I have a couple of the SICK LMS units (picked them up cheap off ebay) - while I like the fact that these tiny and low cost sensors are available (and great for

I have a couple of the SICK LMS units (picked them up cheap off ebay) - while I like the fact that these tiny and low cost sensors are available (and great for small-scale robotics) - they won't match up to a SICK unit in the near term. There's nothing like the range, 180 deg scanning speed, and general industrial robustness of the SICK LIDARs. Then again, these chips aren't the size of a small coffee maker, and don't weigh a ton, either. I think these devices will occupy a nice niche for when you want something with a better resolution than either the Sharp IR sensors or some ultrasonic pinger - but don't mind the limited range.