Researchers Image Hidden Objects With Under-$100 LiDAR, Tracking Motion Beyond Line of Sight
Updated
Updated · BIOENGINEER.ORG · May 20
Researchers Image Hidden Objects With Under-$100 LiDAR, Tracking Motion Beyond Line of Sight
8 articles · Updated · BIOENGINEER.ORG · May 20
Smartphone-grade LiDAR sensors were used to reconstruct 3D models of objects hidden behind obstacles and to track single or multiple concealed objects in real time.
A motion-induced sampling method made that possible by fusing multiple frames and treating object and camera movement as useful signal rather than noise, overcoming consumer LiDAR’s low power and limited resolution.
Under-$100 off-the-shelf hardware also enabled camera localization from hidden-object data alone, pointing to indoor navigation and augmented-reality uses where GPS is weak or unavailable.
Nature published the work as a step toward bringing non-line-of-sight imaging out of specialized labs and into consumer devices, though researchers still need faster, more reliable performance in varied real-world conditions.
As software lets cheap lidar see around corners, is the billion-dollar hardware race between US and Chinese firms now obsolete?
If smartphone sensors can now see around corners, what new rules are needed to protect our personal privacy from invisible surveillance?
Can this cheap 'around-the-corner' lidar reliably distinguish a child from a bouncing ball at a blind intersection?
"From Lab to Pocket: MIT’s $100 Consumer LiDAR Makes ‘Around-the-Corner’ Vision a Reality"
Overview
In May 2026, the MIT Media Lab announced a major breakthrough in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) 3D imaging, published in Nature. Researchers developed a method called Motion-Induced Aperture Sampling (MAS), which enables consumer-grade LiDAR systems—like those found in smartphones—to detect and reconstruct hidden objects around corners. This innovation transforms what was once expensive, specialized laboratory equipment into an affordable feature for everyday devices, costing under $100. Although consumer LiDAR was never designed for this purpose, MAS makes advanced imaging accessible to everyone, opening new possibilities for technology and daily life.