Smartphone damaged by car LiDAR
In this article from TopGear, it is described how a user irreparably damaged their phone camera simply by filming a Volvo EX90. This was powerfully illustrated in a Reddit video, in which the LiDAR pulse visibly left a burn mark on the camera chip.
How is that possible?
Many LiDAR systems operate with powerful lasers in the infrared spectrum (usually around 905 or 1550 nm). Although they are often invisible to the naked eye, they can burn directly into a lens with high intensity and without beam dispersion — causing damage.