> Do lidar driving systems have objectively better performance? In one sense yes: accurate ranging is an inherent capability of a lidar system that a passive o

> Do lidar driving systems have objectively better performance? In one sense yes: accurate ranging is an inherent capability of a lidar system that a passive optical system needs additional algorithms to achieve (e.g., simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)). In an active system like lidar you know when you’ve transmitted energy and you can measure the delay until you receive an attenuated version of it scattered from objects in the environment. And you know the velocity of the energy so you can solve for distance.