Lidar technology is expected to evolve as the automotive industry embraces new trends such as safety, autonomy, software definability, and electrification. The question arises: how can lidar design be optimized to offer the necessary performance while meeting the increasing OEM demand for seamless sensor integration and enhanced intelligence? This presentation focuses on the latest lidar trends that address this challenge: 1) unlocking new placement options with slimmer, smaller lidar design; 2) increasing lidar’s adaptivity, flexibility and versatility with software-defined 3D perception; and 3) leveraging automotive lidar programs to drive lidar scalability. It will highlight new advancements in the design and development of lidar systems, ASIC chipsets, and software. Using examples of common lidar placement options, it will discuss how to optimize lidar integration for real-life driving needs. Additionally, the presentation will cover how to drive the scalability of lidar solutions to enable volume manufacturing and mass-market deployment.