Volvo EX90 LiDAR damages smartphone camera sensor
An overseas user's experiment showed that a Volvo EX90's 1550nm LiDAR sensor permanently damaged a smartphone camera's CMOS sensor when pointed directly at the active unit. The damage was irreversible and required component replacement, though the LiDAR meets international safety standards for human eye protection.
What happened
An overseas user tested whether the roof-mounted LiDAR on a Volvo EX90 could damage a smartphone camera sensor. When pointing a smartphone camera directly at the active LiDAR, colored dots appeared on the screen and increased as the phone moved.
The colored dots on the display indicated the smartphone's CMOS sensor had been permanently burned and could not self-recover, requiring component replacement. The Volvo EX90 uses a Luminar semi-solid state LiDAR with a wavelength of 1550nm.
Reported impact
Smartphone CMOS camera sensors without infrared filters risk permanent damage from direct exposure to the LiDAR's laser emissions. While LiDAR is typically harmless to human eyes and meets CLASS 1 safety standards under IEC 60825-1, phone cameras may be at risk.
Index analysis
Cameras with red infrared filter chips typically experience no problem from LiDAR exposure, whereas those without filter chips face potential destruction. Experts recommend avoiding close-range direct photography of LiDAR units and sustained eye contact with the laser.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.