2D LiDAR for Interactive Applications

2D LiDAR for Interactive Floors

Build responsive interactive floor systems with real-time position detection. 2D LiDAR measures people and movement across defined interaction areas, providing spatial data that host software can convert into coordinates for projection mapping, digital exhibitions, immersive spaces, games, and other floor-based interactive experiences.

Real-Time Position Detection Wide-Area Floor Coverage Camera-Free Sensing Easy System Integration
Explore YB Series → See How It Works
Sensor Role Position → Interaction
Real-Time Interaction Input
Spatial sensing without image-based detection

LiDAR measurements provide geometric input for host-side position and interaction processing.

02 · Interaction Starts with Position

An Interactive Floor Must Know Where the User Is

A projector can display visual content, but it cannot determine where a person is standing, where a footstep occurs, or when someone enters an interaction zone. A sensing layer is required to convert physical movement into real-time position data that the interactive software can understand.

01

Detect People Inside the Interaction Area

The LiDAR continuously scans the defined floor area and detects people or moving objects within the sensing plane.

02

Convert Movement into Position Data

Distance and angle measurements are converted into coordinates, allowing the host software to determine where interaction is taking place.

03

Trigger Visual or Digital Content

When a person enters, moves across, or reaches a defined zone, the interactive system can trigger corresponding animations, effects, sounds, or other digital responses.

Interactive Floor Area
X: 3.42 m
Y: 1.86 m
System Logic Human Movement → Position Data → Interactive Response
03 · Why 2D LiDAR

A Practical Sensing Layer for Interactive Floor Systems

Interactive floors can be built with cameras, depth sensors, pressure mats, infrared devices, or LiDAR. The right technology depends on the installation. For projects that require continuous position detection across a defined area without capturing images, 2D LiDAR provides a particularly practical sensing approach.

01
◉

Position Without Image Processing

Measure spatial position without requiring the interactive system to analyze camera images.

02
◔

One Sensor Can Observe a Defined Area

A single scanning plane can cover a continuous interaction area when the LiDAR is positioned appropriately.

03
XY

Geometry Is Easy to Map Into Software

Distance and angle measurements provide a geometric basis for coordinate conversion, zones, and movement-based interaction logic.

04
↗

The Interaction Logic Remains Flexible

The same sensing data can support different visual, audio, game, or exhibition behaviors defined by the host application.

Sensing Comparison

Different Technologies Solve the Position-Detection Problem in Different Ways

Sensing Consideration 2D LiDAR Camera / Depth Camera Pressure / Discrete Sensors
Position Information Continuous distance + angle measurements Image or depth-based position Usually zone / contact based
Image Capture Not required Typically required Not required
Large-Area Deployment Well suited with proper placement Depends on field of view and mounting May require many sensing points
Physical Floor Modification Normally unnecessary Normally unnecessary May be required for embedded sensors
Typical Output Distance / angle / scan data Image / depth / skeleton data ON/OFF or pressure-zone signal
→
2D LiDAR is especially useful when the system mainly needs to know where people are rather than what they look like.

This makes it a strong sensing option for projection floors, immersive exhibitions, interactive games, digital installations, and other location-driven interactive experiences.

04 · System Architecture

Where 2D LiDAR Fits in an Interactive Floor System

The LiDAR is the spatial sensing layer between physical movement and the interactive software. It measures what is happening in the defined scan plane, while the host system interprets that information and decides how the digital content should respond.

01 · PHYSICAL WORLD
↕

Human Movement

Visitors walk, stand, approach, or move through the defined interaction area.

Physical Position
02 · SENSING LAYER
◉

2D LiDAR

The scanner measures objects intersecting its sensing plane and continuously provides geometric scan information to the host system.

Distance + Angle Data
03 · HOST PROCESSING
⌘

Position Processing

The host computer interprets the scan data and converts it into usable position, target, tracking, or zone information.

Software Processing
04 · INTERACTION LAYER
◆

Interaction Engine

Application logic determines what a detected position or movement means inside the game, exhibition, projection, or multimedia system.

Rules + Events
05 · DIGITAL RESPONSE
✦

Content Responds

Projected graphics, LED content, sound, games, animations, or other digital elements respond according to the application’s interaction logic.

Visual + Audio + Game
LiDAR Responsibility

Measure the Physical Space

The LiDAR’s role is to provide real-time geometric measurement data from the sensing plane. It does not need to know what animation, game, projection, or exhibition content is being displayed.

  • Measure targets within the scan plane
  • Provide continuous distance and angle information
  • Supply spatial input to the host computer
Software Responsibility

Decide What the Measurement Means

The host-side software determines how scan measurements become usable application information and how that information affects the interactive experience.

  • Interpret target position and movement
  • Define interaction zones and event logic
  • Connect sensing results to digital content
→
The LiDAR provides spatial sensing. The software defines the experience.

This separation allows the same sensing principle to support different interactive floors, projection systems, exhibitions, games, and immersive installations without requiring the sensor itself to understand the content.

05 · Interactive Floor Applications

Where 2D LiDAR Fits in Interactive Floor Projects

The same position-sensing principle can support many types of interactive floor experiences. What changes from project to project is not the basic sensing concept, but how the detected position, movement, or zone event is interpreted by the interactive software.

Projection

Interactive Projection Floors

Detect where visitors stand or move across a projected surface and use their position to control particles, water effects, graphics, animations, maps, or other projected content.

Interaction Logic
Foot / body position → coordinates → projection response
Exhibition

Museums & Digital Exhibitions

Use visitor position as an input for digital storytelling, exhibition navigation, information displays, historical simulations, and location-sensitive multimedia content.

Interaction Logic
Visitor enters area → zone event → exhibit content
Immersive

Immersive Experience Spaces

Track movement across larger experience areas so visual, environmental, or multimedia effects can respond dynamically as visitors move through the installation.

Interaction Logic
Multi-person movement → tracking data → dynamic scene
Entertainment

Interactive Games & Entertainment

Turn player position and movement into game input for floor-based challenges, movement games, multiplayer experiences, and location-driven entertainment.

Interaction Logic
Player movement → tracking position → game action
Retail

Retail & Brand Installations

Trigger branded visuals, product stories, digital signage, or experiential content when visitors approach, enter, or move through predefined interaction zones.

Interaction Logic
Customer approaches → zone trigger → branded content
Education

Education & Public Experiences

Create interactive maps, science demonstrations, children’s learning activities, public installations, and educational experiences that respond to physical movement.

Interaction Logic
User selects location → position event → learning content
One sensing principle, many interactive experiences.

The LiDAR provides real-time spatial measurement. The application developer decides how detected positions, movements, and zones are translated into visual, audio, game, or multimedia responses.

06 · LiDAR Selection

Choosing the Right 2D LiDAR for an Interactive Floor

Start with the requirements of the interaction area rather than selecting a sensor from one specification alone. Coverage, responsiveness, data access, and installation geometry together determine which LiDAR configuration is appropriate for the project.

01 · COVERAGE AREA
◔

Can the LiDAR See the Required Floor Area?

Range and scanning angle should be considered together with the proposed sensor position. The goal is not simply to choose the longest-range model, but to ensure that the usable scan field covers the intended interaction area.

Key Question What is the farthest required detection point from the proposed LiDAR position, and how wide is the interaction area?
02 · RESPONSE REQUIREMENT
↯

How Quickly Must the Interaction Respond?

A simple presence trigger and a fast movement-based game do not place the same demands on the sensing and processing chain. Consider how rapidly target movement must be updated for the experience to feel responsive.

Key Question Is the application detecting presence, changing position, or continuous fast movement?
03 · DATA INTERFACE
⇄

What Measurement Data Does the Host Need?

Interactive systems generally rely on host-side processing, so the selected LiDAR configuration should provide the scan information required by the PC, controller, middleware, or custom application.

angle → distance angle → distance angle → distance
Key Question Does the software need access to raw distance and angle measurements for its own processing?
04 · INSTALLATION GEOMETRY
⌖

Where Can the LiDAR Be Positioned?

The sensor position determines how the scan plane intersects users and how much of the floor can be observed without obstruction. Walls, exhibits, furniture, traffic flow, and line-of-sight should therefore be considered before the final model is selected.

Key Question What mounting positions are available, and can the required targets remain visible within the intended scan plane?
Selection Principle

Match the LiDAR to the Project Geometry, Not to One Maximum Specification.

More range, a wider scan field, or a faster update is not automatically better for every installation. A suitable LiDAR should cover the required area, provide the measurement data needed by the software, and fit the physical geometry of the project.

Useful Project Information

What Helps With Model Selection?

  • Interaction-area length and width
  • Proposed LiDAR mounting position
  • Required movement or response behavior
  • Expected number of users
  • Host computer and communication requirements
↓
Mounting height, scan-plane placement, occlusion, and multi-LiDAR layouts are covered separately in the installation section below.

Selection defines what the sensor needs to do; installation defines how the required coverage is achieved in the physical space.

Installation Strategy →
07 · Recommended 2D LiDAR

YB Series 2D LiDAR for Interactive Floor Integration

YB Series 2D LiDAR provides continuous distance and angle measurements for host-side spatial processing. In interactive floor systems, this scan data can be integrated into PCs, controllers, middleware, or custom application software to support position, movement, target, zone, and interaction logic.

YB Series · 2D LiDAR Spatial Measurement Input
Example Scan Data θ → distance
θ → distance
θ → distance
LiDAR  →  Scan Data  →  Host Processing
YB Series · 2D LiDAR

YB Series 2D Laser Scanner

YB Series provides the geometric measurement input required by interactive floor applications. Host software can transform the distance and angle measurements into coordinates and then implement project-specific target processing, movement logic, virtual zones, or interactive events.

Because the interaction logic remains in the host software, the same sensing principle can support different floor layouts, projection systems, games, exhibitions, and immersive experiences without requiring the LiDAR itself to understand the application content.

Sensing Continuous 2D distance measurement
Application Supports position, movement & zone logic
Integration Designed for host-side data processing
Power Low-power operation < 2 W
Select the data interface around the host software.

For interactive floor applications, choose a YB Series configuration that provides the distance and angle scan data required by your processing architecture.

Request LiDAR Recommendation → Explore YB Series →
01 · SPATIAL DATA

Raw Spatial Measurement Data

Distance and angle measurements provide the geometric input required for coordinate conversion, target processing, tracking logic, and zone detection in the host system.

02 · SOFTWARE LOGIC

Host-Side Interaction Logic

Position rules, target behavior, virtual zones, and interaction events can be implemented in the host software according to the specific requirements of the project.

03 · INTEGRATION

Suitable for Custom Integration

The LiDAR can serve as a sensing input for custom PCs, middleware, controllers, visualization systems, and interactive application software.

04 · LOW POWER

Compact, Low-Power Operation

With power consumption below 2 W across the YB Series, the sensor can be integrated into compact interactive installations without adding significant power demand.

↗
Choosing a YB Configuration

Match the Model to the Application Geometry and Data Requirements

The suitable YB configuration depends on the interaction area, required scan coverage, communication interface, host software architecture, and installation layout. The right model should therefore be selected around the project requirements rather than simply choosing the highest available specification.

08 · Installation Strategy

Plan the Scan Plane Before You Plan the Interaction

LiDAR performance in an interactive floor depends heavily on where the scanner is installed and what part of the user intersects the scanning plane. Good placement improves coverage, reduces blind zones, and makes position processing more predictable.

Side Mounting
01 · LOW-LEVEL SIDE MOUNTING

Scan Across Feet or Lower Legs

Mounting the LiDAR near floor level allows the scanning plane to intersect feet, ankles, or lower legs. This is a practical approach when the software mainly needs floor-position information.

Often suitable for Projection floors, movement games, compact interaction zones
Perimeter Mounting
02 · WALL / PERIMETER MOUNTING

Keep Sensors Outside the Main Experience Area

Positioning the scanner along a wall, stage edge, exhibition structure, or perimeter can keep hardware away from the projected surface while still providing a useful horizontal sensing plane.

Often suitable for Museums, exhibitions, retail installations, immersive rooms
Multi-LiDAR
03 · MULTI-LIDAR COVERAGE

Add Viewpoints for Larger or Complex Areas

Multiple scanners can provide additional viewing directions when the interaction area is large, the geometry is irregular, or people and structures may block a single LiDAR’s line of sight.

Often suitable for Large venues, multi-person interaction, complex layouts
Engineering Consideration

Remember That 2D LiDAR Is a Line-of-Sight Sensor

If one person, exhibition structure, wall, or other object sits between the LiDAR and another target in the same scanning plane, part of the target may be hidden from that scanner.

For multi-person applications, sensor placement should therefore be planned around expected traffic flow and possible occlusion. Additional LiDAR viewpoints may be useful when reliable coverage from a single position cannot be maintained.

Target behind another person
may be partially occluded
✓
A simple floor plan is often enough to start the LiDAR layout discussion.

Floor dimensions, obstacles, expected user positions, mounting options, and the desired sensing height can help determine whether a single LiDAR is sufficient or whether multiple viewpoints should be considered.

09 · Developer Integration

Turning 2D LiDAR Scan Data Into Interactive Coordinates

Once the LiDAR data reaches the host computer, the developer can transform the scan into the coordinate and target information required by the interactive application. The exact processing architecture depends on the project, but the basic workflow is straightforward.

01 · COORDINATE CONVERSION

Convert Distance and Angle Into X / Y

A 2D LiDAR scan is naturally expressed in polar measurements. These measurements can be transformed into Cartesian coordinates so detected points can be positioned inside the floor layout.

Basic Coordinate Conversion
x = r × cos(θ)
y = r × sin(θ)
Developer Task

Define the sensor origin and transform LiDAR coordinates into the coordinate system used by the physical installation.

02 · TARGET PROCESSING

Turn Scan Points Into Usable Targets

Individual scan points can be grouped and processed to distinguish relevant objects from the surrounding environment. Depending on the project, software can then maintain target positions across consecutive scans.

Typical Processing Concept
scan points
↓
clusters / objects
↓
target positions
Developer Task

Filtering, clustering, target identification, and tracking logic are normally implemented according to the installation geometry and application requirements.

03 · APPLICATION MAPPING

Map Physical Position to Digital Content

Detected target coordinates must be related to the coordinate space used by the projector, game engine, exhibition software, or other multimedia system.

Application Mapping
LiDAR X / Y
↓
coordinate transform
↓
scene / projection X / Y
Developer Task

Calibration defines how movement in the real floor area corresponds to locations and events inside the digital scene.

Coordinate Calibration

One Physical Floor Can Use More Than One Coordinate System

The LiDAR has its own origin and orientation, while the projector, game engine, or multimedia software may use a different coordinate system. These coordinate spaces therefore need to be related during system calibration.

After the transformation is defined, a detected physical position can be translated into the corresponding location used by the interactive application.

Example Position X = 3.42 m
Y = 1.86 m
Host Software

Integrate the Processed Data Into Your Application Stack

LiDAR measurements can be handled by custom PC applications, middleware, interactive media systems, or software developed around common visualization and game-engine environments. The integration method depends on the communication interface and software architecture selected for the project.

Custom PC Software Middleware Unity-Based Projects Unreal-Based Projects Interactive Media Systems Custom Visualization
Important Integration Boundary

Raw Scan Data Is Not Finished Person Tracking

The LiDAR provides geometric measurements. Determining which measurements belong to a person, maintaining target identities, defining virtual zones, and generating interaction events are normally functions of the host-side processing software.

Sensor Distance + Angle
Geometry X / Y Coordinates
Processing Targets / Tracks
Calibration Application Coordinates
Application Interactive Events
10 · Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions About 2D LiDAR
for Interactive Floors

Interactive floor projects depend on sensing geometry, installation layout, host-side processing, and the behavior required by the application. These are some of the most common questions when evaluating 2D LiDAR for floor-based interactive systems.

01

Can one 2D LiDAR detect multiple people?

A 2D LiDAR can measure multiple objects intersecting the same scan plane. Host software can process the scan points into separate targets when the targets are sufficiently distinguishable. However, detecting multiple objects in a scan is not the same as providing finished multi-person tracking. Tracking logic, target association, and identity continuity must be handled by the host-side software.

02

Can LiDAR detect footsteps on an interactive floor?

Yes, when the scanning plane is positioned so that feet, ankles, or lower legs intersect the beam. The installation geometry is therefore important. The LiDAR measures the target position in the scanning plane, while the host software interprets that movement and maps it to the interactive floor content.

03

Does an interactive LiDAR system need a camera?

Not necessarily. If the application mainly requires spatial position, movement, or zone information, 2D LiDAR can provide the sensing input without image capture. Cameras may still be added when the project also requires visual recognition, body pose, identification, or other image-based functions.

04

Will projector light interfere with the LiDAR?

Projector light does not automatically prevent LiDAR operation, but the complete optical environment should still be evaluated during installation. Projector type, ambient lighting, reflective surfaces, direct optical exposure, and the specified ambient-light capability of the selected LiDAR should all be considered for the actual project.

05

How high should the LiDAR be installed?

There is no universal mounting height for every interactive floor. The correct position depends on what part of the user should intersect the scan plane, the floor geometry, sensor location, possible occlusion, and the required interaction behavior. Low-level side or perimeter mounting is commonly evaluated for foot or lower-leg detection.

06

How much floor area can one LiDAR cover?

Coverage should not be determined from maximum sensing range alone. The usable interaction area also depends on the scan angle, mounting position, room geometry, target reflectivity, required detection behavior, and possible line-of-sight obstruction. A floor plan is usually more useful than a single range specification when evaluating coverage.

07

When are multiple LiDARs recommended?

Multiple LiDARs may be useful for larger interaction areas, complex room shapes, installations with obstacles, or projects where people can block one another from a single sensing viewpoint. Additional sensors can provide different scan perspectives, but their data must then be coordinated by the host system.

08

Can LiDAR data be used with Unity or Unreal Engine?

Yes, provided the project software can receive and process the LiDAR measurement data through the selected communication interface. Distance and angle data can be converted into coordinates and then mapped into the application’s coordinate system. This does not imply that a dedicated Unity or Unreal plug-in or ready-made person-tracking package is included with the LiDAR.

The LiDAR provides spatial measurement data. The host software defines how that data becomes an interactive experience.

Final performance depends on the selected LiDAR configuration, installation geometry, target conditions, software processing, and application requirements.

11 · Start Your Project

Build Your Interactive Floor with 2D LiDAR

You do not need to select the LiDAR model before contacting us. Share the basic geometry and interaction requirements of your project, and we can help evaluate the sensing range, scan coverage, mounting layout, and suitable YB Series configuration.

Floor Size Sensor Position Number of Users Interaction Logic Software Environment
Request LiDAR Recommendation → Explore YB Series →

A simple floor plan, sketch, CAD screenshot, or written layout description is usually enough to begin the application discussion.

What Should You Send Us?

Basic Project Information Is Enough to Start

01
Interaction Area

Approximate length × width and the basic floor layout.

02
Proposed LiDAR Position

Wall, perimeter, floor edge, exhibition structure, or another available mounting position.

03
Expected Users

Single-person interaction, multiple users, or variable visitor traffic.

04
Required Interaction

Position, movement, virtual zones, tracking behavior, or trigger events.

05
Host Software

PC software, middleware, game engine, visualization system, controller, or custom application.

Typical Evaluation Flow
Layout → Coverage → LiDAR → Integration
Application Interactive Floors & Immersive Installations
Sensing Real-Time 2D Distance & Angle Data
Integration Host-Side Position, Tracking & Interaction Logic