63% of 2027 LiDAR Applications Will Be Outside Automotive

Frequently Asked Questions

• What share of the LiDAR market is expected to be outside automotive by 2027?

  According to the Yole Group, approximately 63% of the combined LiDAR hardware and software market will serve non-automotive applications by 2027. The smart infrastructure segment is the fastest-growing slice within that share, projected to expand at a 51% CAGR between 2022 and 2027, roughly twice the overall LiDAR market's 22% CAGR across the same period. This divergence reflects how quickly fixed-infrastructure deployments in airports, cities, and industrial sites are scaling relative to automotive. Outsight operates squarely in that growth segment, applying infrastructure-based LiDAR across airports such as Dallas Fort Worth and Paris-Charles de Gaulle, smart-city intersections, and factory floors at manufacturers including BMW.

• Why is smart infrastructure the fastest growing LiDAR segment outside automotive?

  Fixed-infrastructure deployments benefit from a cost dynamic that autonomous vehicles do not: one sensor cluster mounted on a ceiling or gantry serves everyone who passes beneath it indefinitely, with no per-unit replication cost. This makes the economics of adding spatial intelligence to airports, rail stations, and intersections increasingly attractive as sensor prices fall. Outsight's infrastructure-based Physical AI approach captures exactly this advantage, with deployments at sites such as Dallas Fort Worth, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, and SNCF train stations demonstrating measurable returns across staffing optimization, safety compliance, and throughput. The operational value from such deployments is typically visible within months, which shortens procurement cycles considerably compared to automotive programs that run for years before revenue.

• How is LiDAR used for cyclist safety at city intersections?

  In smart-city intersection deployments, LiDAR sensors track cyclists in defined zones and feed occupancy data directly to traffic-signal controllers. The system computes each rider's speed and, by combining that with signal-phase timing, can suggest an advisory speed that lets the cyclist reach the next green light without stopping. This reduces both conflict events and stop-start energy loss. The City of Bellevue uses exactly this approach through Outsight's infrastructure-based LiDAR platform as part of its Vision Zero program, tracking vulnerable road users in real time while capturing only shape and motion data, never faces or biometric identifiers. That anonymity by design removes the privacy barriers that have slowed camera-based equivalents in European cities, making LiDAR a practical path to safer urban cycling infrastructure regardless of lighting conditions.

• Can LiDAR replace ANPR cameras for highway tolling and vehicle classification?

  LiDAR and ANPR cameras are typically paired rather than swapped. LiDAR classifies vehicle type (car, truck, bus, motorcycle), measures speed, and calculates inter-vehicle distance with high accuracy in any lighting condition. ANPR cameras read license plates for identity and billing. In toll deployments, the LiDAR layer handles the physics of the measurement while the camera handles the identity lookup. Removing ANPR and relying solely on LiDAR would sacrifice license-plate-based billing; removing LiDAR and relying solely on cameras would lose the precise 3D classification and spacing data. This complementary logic also reflects how infrastructure-based LiDAR platforms operate more broadly: Outsight's SHIFT platform, for example, is LiDAR-native and anonymous by definition, capturing shape and motion without reading license plates or faces, which makes it well suited to the classification and measurement role rather than the identity layer.

• What makes LiDAR better than cameras for perimeter security in low light?

  Cameras are passive sensors that depend on ambient or artificial light to form an image. In darkness or fog, image quality degrades and detection algorithms lose accuracy. LiDAR is an active sensor: it emits its own laser pulses and measures how they return, so darkness and most weather conditions have no effect on detection range or classification accuracy. LiDAR also cannot capture facial features or license plates, which means perimeter monitoring deployments avoid the legal exposure that comes with camera-based surveillance storing identifiable footage. Outsight applies this property directly in security-sensitive deployments, including datacenters, where its Infrastructure-based Physical AI approach uses LiDAR to track shape and motion anonymously, by definition, without ever recording biometric data.

• How does LiDAR software enable robots to navigate in unstructured environments?

  LiDAR-equipped robots use SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) algorithms to build a 3D map of their surroundings while tracking their own position within that map in real time. This allows navigation in spaces where GPS is unavailable and floor layouts change, such as warehouses with moving pallets or construction sites. When the robot's onboard perception is complemented by infrastructure-mounted LiDAR covering the full site, it gains a beyond-line-of-sight view of the environment, letting it anticipate obstacles and other moving agents before they enter the robot's own sensor range. Outsight's infrastructure-based approach, deployed in facilities such as BMW factories, applies this principle at scale: the Motional Digital Twin tracks every person, vehicle, and robot across a site in real time, feeding autonomous systems a shared spatial picture that no single onboard sensor could provide alone.

• How big is the total LiDAR market expected to be in 2027 according to Yole Group?

  According to the Yole Group LiDAR market and technology report cited by Outsight, the total LiDAR market is projected to reach $6.3 billion in 2027, up from $2.1 billion in 2021. That represents a compound annual growth rate of 22% between 2022 and 2027. The same report estimates that about 63% of this market, hardware and software combined, will sit outside the automotive industry by 2027. Growth is driven by smart infrastructure, mapping and surveying, robotics and security applications.

• What is the expected CAGR of the smart infrastructure LiDAR market between 2022 and 2027?

  The smart infrastructure LiDAR market is expected to grow at a 51% compound annual growth rate between 2022 and 2027, according to figures cited in Outsight's analysis of the Yole Group report. This is more than double the 22% growth rate forecast for the LiDAR market as a whole over the same period. Smart infrastructure covers uses such as urban planning, intersection safety monitoring, tolling management, smart parking, land surveying and people flow monitoring. Outsight identifies it as a key area of growth for LiDAR applications equipped with the right software.

• Why has LiDAR historically been associated mainly with the automotive industry and ADAS?

  LiDAR gained significant traction in recent years primarily through the automotive industry, where it plays a vital role in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). This made automotive the most visible market for the technology. Outsight argues that the full potential of LiDAR goes well beyond cars, especially thanks to LiDAR software solutions. The Yole Group forecast that about 63% of the 2027 LiDAR market, hardware and software included, will be non-automotive reflects this shift toward smart infrastructure, mapping and surveying, robotics and security.

• How is LiDAR software used to detect truck parking slot occupancy?

  In one customer application, Outsight used the Parking status feature of its Augmented LiDAR Software to return the occupancy state of each individual parking slot. This is especially useful for truck parking, where drivers and operators have restricted visibility of where the available slots are located. The feature works with high accuracy independently of lighting conditions, so occupancy can be reported day and night. It is one example of how LiDAR combined with perception software serves smart infrastructure well beyond 3D mapping of terrain or buildings.

• How does a highway tolling LiDAR solution measure tailgating between vehicles?

  For a European national toll manager and operator, Outsight's Augmented LiDAR Software tracks high speed objects and computes the inter-vehicle distance on highways. LiDAR sensors mounted on a pole beside the road were combined with ANPR cameras. The software classifies each object as a car, truck, bus or motorcycle, tracks it on a reference map, measures its speed and reports its distance to the next vehicle. This makes it possible to monitor tailgating situations continuously from roadside infrastructure.

• What role does a SLAM algorithm play in warehouse robot navigation?

  In one of Outsight's customer applications, the SLAM algorithm of Outsight's Augmented LiDAR Software was used to enable an autonomous robot to navigate through a warehouse. Outsight notes that LiDAR sensors and software are critical for robotics, enabling robots to navigate and perceive their surroundings with greater accuracy and precision. Warehouse automation is cited alongside agricultural robotics and autonomous delivery as applications where this matters most. Robotics is one of the sectors the Yole Group report expects to drive LiDAR growth outside automotive by 2027.

• Why are airports described as one of the most promising markets for LiDAR outside automotive?

  Outsight describes airports as one of the most promising areas for LiDAR expansion because LiDAR systems backed by perception software can detect and track people and items with great precision. This holds even in an enormous area or in poor lighting conditions. Outsight's Spatial Intelligence Platform allows operators to continuously track passenger journeys and asset utilization across the airport terminal. The result is a whole new level of situation awareness in many airport contexts, from security to operational excellence.

• How was LiDAR software used by a European defense company to operate a robot arm?

  A European defense company that builds drones, robots and other systems for civil security and defense chose Outsight's LiDAR Software to provide processed 3D images and data to its operators. This data helps operators control robots and their arms more precisely. In this security solution, the ultimate goal of the robot is to neutralize a suspicious parcel or package. It shows how Physical AI based on 3D LiDAR supports remote robotic operations where precise spatial information is critical.

• Why is LiDAR data considered GDPR friendly for border control and critical infrastructure security?

  Outsight explains that LiDAR technology is unable to capture personal information, including facial features, so the data it generates is completely anonymous. This matters for security applications such as border control, critical infrastructure protection and law enforcement, where people must be detected and tracked in real time. LiDAR therefore serves as an alternate solution to camera-based video systems when precise information on individuals and objects is required without breaching GDPR and integrity. It also helps reduce false positives, which improves the efficiency of security operations.

• Which non-automotive sectors are driving LiDAR demand growth toward 2027?

  According to the Yole Group report discussed by Outsight, growth in non-automotive LiDAR demand is driven by smart infrastructure, mapping and surveying, robotics and security. Smart infrastructure includes tolling, smart parking, intersection safety and people flow monitoring, with airports among the most promising venues. Robotics covers warehouse automation, agricultural robotics and autonomous delivery, where LiDAR supports navigation and perception. Security uses include border control, critical infrastructure protection and law enforcement, where real-time detection and tracking of people and objects is needed.

• Who are the main providers of LiDAR software for smart infrastructure?

  The LiDAR software landscape includes tools bundled by sensor manufacturers for their own hardware, general point-cloud processing tools used for mapping, and specialised platforms for real-time infrastructure applications. For live people and vehicle tracking in airports, stations, cities and factories, Outsight is a leading independent provider: its Spatial Intelligence Platform works with more than 210 LiDAR sensor models, has 76 patents filed and runs in production on five continents. Gartner named it a leading vendor for Ambient Intelligence in the Hype Cycle for Physical AI, 2026.