Time of Flight vs. FMCW LiDAR

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This white paper examines these claims and offers a technical comparison of Time of Flight (ToF) vs. FMCW LiDAR for each of them. In this white paper, we will demonstrate that high performance, agile-scanning ToF systems serve the needs of autonomous vehicle LiDAR more effectively than FMCW when cost, range, performance, and point cloud quality are important. We understand that not all ToF and FMCW systems are equal, so we will focus on ToF as employed at AEye. However, we believe the bulk of our comparisons are valid. Our hope is that this white paper serves to outline some of the difficult system trade-offs a successful practitioner must overcome, thereby stimulating robust informed discussion, competition, and ultimately, improvement of both ToF and FMCW offerings to advance perception for autonomy