# A proposal for a LidarScan sensor message

**URL:** <https://discourse.openrobotics.org/t/a-proposal-for-a-lidarscan-sensor-message/53225>\
**Category:** ROS General\
**Tags:** design, lidar, sensors, sensor\_msgs\
**Created:** [March 15, 2026, 6:35pm UTC](https://discourse.openrobotics.org/t/a-proposal-for-a-lidarscan-sensor-message/53225 "2026-03-15T18:35:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 17

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**Author:** ![mattb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.openrobotics.org/mattb/32/1676_2.png) [@mattb](https://discourse.openrobotics.org/u/mattb)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 3:29am UTC](https://discourse.openrobotics.org/t/a-proposal-for-a-lidarscan-sensor-message/53225/17 "2026-03-26T03:29:18Z")

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Perhaps I was unclear. For example the LidarInfo message would be like so:

`Header header`  
`# other data here`

And the LidarScan message would be like so:

`Header header`  
`time lidar_info_time # refers to the timestamp of the time in the header of the LidarInfo message`  
`# other data here`

Then if you get a LidarScan message you just check if you have received a LidarInfo message with a matching timestamp to lidar\_info\_time, if not you wait until you do.

Nothing ties them to being published at the same rate.

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