The Scheimpflug lidar (SLidar) technique has been recently developed for atmospheric remote sensing. By utilizing high-power continuous-wave laser diodes as laser sources and area image sensors as detectors, the SLidar technique can measure range-resolved atmospheric backscattering signal when the optical layout satisfies the Scheimpflug principle. This paper presents the principle, features, system architecture as well as the signal processing methods of the SLidar technique. The developments and applications of the SLidar technique in atmospheric aerosol sensing and gas monitoring are summarized in detail. The challenges of the SLidar technique are also discussed. Finally, the future work and the outlook of the SLidar technique are presented.