Four years and an acquisition later, that prototype is the real deal. On May 4, Argo announced that Princeton's prototype, rebranded as the "Argo Lidar" after four years of refinement, was ready for prime-time. Like many of its rivals in the lidar market, Argo believes it's achieved a technological breakthrough. "With the introduction of Argo Lidar," the company said in a press release, "Argo AI has overcome the limitations preventing most competitors from commercializing autonomous delivery and ride-hail services." Lidars bounce beams of light off nearby objects to measure how far away they are. With the notable exception of Tesla, the vast majority of companies developing automated-driving systems believe the sensors are an essential tool in helping a self-driving vehicle understand its surroundings.