before possible on any mobile device”. Widely
expected to launch on this year’s iPhones, the
new scanner uses reflected light to measure
the distance from the iPad Pro to objects up
to five meters away, taken at the photon level
at nano-second speeds, with frameworks in
iPadOS then used to combine those points
with data from the two cameras to create a
more detailed understanding of a scene, ideal
for capable augmented reality experiences
on the iPad.
The LiDAR Scanner works alongside ARKit and
offers improved motion capture and people
occlusion, and a new Scene Geometry API uses
the scanner to create scenarios “never possible
before” on the iPad. The Measure app also
uses the new LiDAR Scanner to make it faster,
calculating a person’s height in seconds, whilst
new vertical and edge guides can be used to
help people accurately measure objects, from a
bedside cabinet to a football field.