LiDAR detects objects by emitting rapid laser pulses and using sensors to measure the time it takes for those pulses to bounce back after hitting surfaces. The system calculates the distance based on the time delay, creating a point cloud that represents the object ‘s shape and position in 3D space. This enables accurate object detection and mapping in various applications like autonomous driving vehicles, environmental monitoring, and more. The point cloud can also be used to create a digital elevation model (DEM) or a digital terrain model (DTM).