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Lidar (, an acronym of light detection and ranging[1] or laser imaging, detection, and ranging,[2] often stylized LiDAR) is a method for determining ranges by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver. Lidar may operate in a fixed direction (e.g., vertical) or it may scan directions, in a special combination of 3D scanning and laser scanning.[3]