[cr0sh]

If it's $7500 for a 3D LIDAR (that is, a cheaper version of the Velodyne LIDAR system) - then that puts in range of SICK and Hokuyo 2D LIDAR sensors, although both of those only have around 180 degree FOV - but they both have a similar price tag (IIRC, around $3-4K per unit).

Still - that's a large fraction of the cost of vehicle, so I don't see it as that great of a breakthrough on price.

Honestly, I personally think that we'll see flash LIDAR or some other non-mechanical scanning tech (along with machine vision cameras - or maybe only such cameras) being used. Indeed, if machine vision cameras could be made to see in a wider range of wavelengths (maybe into near IR and UV?), and also have quick adjustable focus, and some way to deal with dirt and debris - such cameras would probably be the best way to implement sensing.

Ultimately, the issue isn't so much with the sensors, but with the software; integration of the sensor data into a cohesive whole and then interpreting it properly is far from a solved task (deep learning seems to work well?).

/I'm probably rambling out of my nether regions, tho