Mobility analysts, urban planners and AI companies bill widespread lidar as a building block for future urban societies, where autonomous vehicles, smart homes and infrastructure work together to create "smart" cities. Lidar, short for light detection and ranging, is a sensing method that enables devices to glean what an object is based on its shape. In theory, when deployed on traffic lights, in parking lots and on enough vehicles, the technology could help contextualize what's happening outside so cities can better manage energy and security. It could also manage traffic congestion. The tech has been around since at least the 1970s. However, it was considered too expensive and complicated for companies in a broad range of industries to utilise. That is until now, according to HanBin Lee, founder of South Korea-based Seoul Robotics, a computer vision company.