$50 VL53L9 dToF LiDAR plugged into an iPhone enables quick open-source 3D scanning
kamathsblog · x · 2026-11-11
A demo shows a $50 ST VL53L9CX dToF LiDAR sensor attached to an iPhone via an open-source USB-C board, producing quick indoor 3D scans using only ARKit poses.
The hardware, designed in KiCad and MIT-licensed by RemiFM, combines the VL53L9 dToF matrix LiDAR (54×42 2.3k zones, 5cm–8.8m range) with an LSM6DSV 6-axis IMU featuring on-chip sensor fusion. It targets mobile robotics, micro-UAVs and SLAM research, using binary packet framing to fit USB Full-Speed bandwidth. The author finds it far more convenient than the MIPI connectors on ST's eval board.
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