LiDAR SLAM vs camera SLAM: LiDAR wins in the dark, camera is cheaper but needs light

LiDAR SLAM uses a spinning laser to map the room and works fine in pitch darkness, while camera-based SLAM is cheaper but struggles in low light. Both use the same underlying SLAM technology — the difference is how they see. If your robot runs mainly at night or in basements, LiDAR is the reliable choice.