Core security level standard
The safety level certification of LiDAR primarily relies on the international standard IEC 60825-1, which categorizes laser products into seven safety
levels (Class 1 to Class 4) with increasing levels of hazard. For vehicle-mounted and consumer-grade LiDAR, Class 1 is a mandatory "safety red line"
for access, defined as a level where "under reasonably foreseeable conditions of use, including observation within the beam using optical instruments,
it will not cause harm to the human eye.".
Major global certification systems
Currently, the global market access for lidar involves three core standard systems:
IEC 60825-1 (International Electrotechnical Commission): a benchmark standard widely adopted by more than 100 countries and regions worldwide,
with the latest series version being IEC 60825:2025 SER, which serves as the mandatory technical basis for the EU CE certification.
FDA 21 CFR 1040.10 (USA): The regulatory requirements of the US Food and Drug Administration for laser products have a high degree of technical
compatibility with IEC 60825-1. Products exported to the US must pass this certification.
GB/T 7247.1-2024 (China): Equivalent to IEC 60825-1:2014, it was officially implemented in April 2025 and is a mandatory national standard for
products sold in China.
Wavelength selection and safety characteristics
Lidar primarily employs two wavelengths, 905nm and 1550nm, which exhibit significant differences in safety characteristics:
1550nm wavelength: It is easily absorbed by the cornea and aqueous humor, and almost never reaches the retina. Therefore, it allows for higher
emission power, making it easier to pass Class 1 high-power certification, and providing better eye safety.
905nm wavelength: It has a high transmittance to the retina, necessitating strict control over single pulse energy and average power. Fine pulse
modulation and scanning design are required to meet Class 1 limit requirements.
Core technical requirements for Class 1 certification
To achieve Class 1 certification, dual security measures must be implemented from the design stage:
Energy threshold control: Strictly control the instantaneous energy of a single pulse and the average cumulative energy per unit area after prolonged
exposure to ensure that it does not exceed the accessible emission limit (AEL). The test needs to be fully verified in the high-risk range of 100mm to 1m.
Key technical optimizations include: dispersing energy using short pulses (typically <10ns) and high repetition rates (>100kHz); achieving rapid scanning
through MEMS or mechanical rotation to ensure that the beam dwells at any fixed point for an extremely short period of time; reducing power density
using a beam expander; and implementing automatic power control (APC) circuitry to achieve instant power reduction or shutoff in case of failure.
Certification test core project
Laboratory testing is a crucial step in the certification process, primarily encompassing:
Radiation detection: Measure key parameters such as laser output power, energy density, wavelength, pulse characteristics, and beam divergence angle.
Achievable Emission Limit (AEL) verification: Confirm that the product does not exceed Class 1 limits under both normal and single-point fault conditions.
Fail-safe testing: Simulate abnormal scenarios such as the failure of scanning mechanisms to verify whether the automatic protection mechanism can
intervene immediately.
Human eye safety assessment: Using a test device that simulates the pupil diameter of the human eye, it is quantitatively verified that the energy of laser
entering the human eye is usually only less than 20% of the damage threshold.
Label and document review: Verify whether the laser warning labels, user manuals, technical specifications, etc. comply with the standard requirements.
The market significance of certification compliance
Laser safety certification has become a "rigid threshold" for LiDAR to enter the international market. According to industry statistics, in 2025, the number
of cases where exports were blocked due to non-compliance with laser safety certification increased by 45% year-on-year. The average cost of rectification
reached up to RMB 800,000, and the delay in the market launch cycle exceeded 6 months. Currently, mainstream automobile companies and major robot
manufacturers (such as Tesla, DJI, Xiaomi, etc.) have listed Class 1 report as a one-vote veto item in their supply chain inventory. LiDAR that fails to pass
certification cannot enter the European, American, and Chinese markets, nor can it obtain CE marking or FDA registration.
