The first laser in the world was the ruby laser, which was first developed by American Hughes Aircraft Company scientist Mayman in 1960. The US military soon carried out research on military laser devices on this basis. In 1961, the first military laser rangefinder passed the demonstration test of the United States military, and the laser rangefinder soon entered the practical stage.

As the price of laser rangefinders has been continuously reduced, laser rangefinders have gradually been used in industry. At home and abroad, a number of new micro-distance meters with the advantages of fast ranging, small size and reliable performance have emerged, which can be widely used in industrial measurement and control, mines, ports and other fields.