I Reverse-Engineered an $8 LiDAR and Built a Wireless 360° Radar

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For business inquiries, contact me at: northworkslab.business@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I bought an undocumented $8 rotating LiDAR and reverse-engineered its serial protocol to find the actual scan data hidden inside the stream. The final system combines full-resolution 360° LiDAR data with an HLK-LD2450 24 GHz mmWave sensor. An ESP32-S3 receives both sensor streams and sends the validated data wirelessly over Wi-Fi to a custom Android radar display. In this video I build the complete portable sensor unit, explain the wiring and power system, and test the finished wireless radar outdoors. PROJECT FILES GitHub — firmware, Android APK, wiring guide and documentation: https://github.com/MayhemXX/NorthWork... 3D-printable enclosure and mounting parts: https://makerworld.com/en/models/3129... IMPORTANT WI-FI NOTE The Android app does not create the Wi-Fi network automatically. You must create a compatible 2.4 GHz WPA2 network using your own SSID and password, or use the documented NorthWorks test network. SYSTEM • Reverse-engineered rotating 360° LiDAR • HLK-LD2450 24 GHz mmWave sensor • ESP32-S3 wireless sensor bridge • Full-resolution UDP sensor transport • Custom Android radar display • Protected Zebra 1S battery pack • A protected 18650 cell can also be used with a proper 1S BMS, charger and regulated power converters The LiDAR protocol and distance format were determined experimentally because no manufacturer documentation was available. Fields that are not manufacturer-confirmed are clearly labelled as inferred. SAFETY This is an experimental prototype, not safety equipment. Avoid looking into the LiDAR aperture. Do not connect a bare Li-ion cell directly to the system, and do not apply 5 V directly to the LiDAR motor. If you enjoyed the build, give the video a thumbs up and subscribe for more reverse-engineering and sensor projects! Credits: Music: Phobia by Soundridemusic