AI & Humanoid Robotics Weekly

LiDAR

Laser 3D sensors for mapping, navigation and obstacle avoidance.

Data updated

Why it matters

Compact hemispherical LiDARs (e.g. Hesai JT series, RoboSense Airy) give humanoids and quadrupeds a 3D view for SLAM and obstacle avoidance. Many Western humanoids (Tesla, Figure) rely on cameras only.

Why it is a bottleneck. Less of a bottleneck. Chinese automotive LiDAR scale has pushed prices down sharply, and Hesai says lower average selling prices partly offset higher deliveries in Q2 2026. Robotics LiDAR volumes are surging: Hesai shipped 142,371 robotics units in Q2 2026 (+193% YoY), and RoboSense 145,200 in Q3 2026 (+309% YoY). Many humanoids are camera-first, but Ouster's CEO says customers are increasingly adding LiDAR for safety and navigation.

Cost. Prices keep falling at the low end: Livox, whose 360-degree Mid-360 is used in Unitree's G1, now also sells a lower-cost Mid-360L with fewer points a second, which it pitches for large robot fleets. Hesai says its average selling prices fell in Q2 2026.

Suppliers 4

  • Hesai GroupRobotics lidar (JT128 and others); robotic actuation modules
  • LivoxMid-360, Mid-360S and Mid-360L compact 360-degree LiDAR
  • OusterRev8 OS digital LiDAR, including native color LiDAR; ZED stereo cameras (StereoLabs)
  • RoboSenseAiry and E-series robotics LiDAR; expanding into cameras, tactile and joint modules

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