4 ms·
You don't have to "construct an image" to use LIDAR returns. Minimal processing on the point cloud will tell you that there's an obstacle, and you don't need m
by wnoise 9y ago
You don't have to "construct an image" to use LIDAR returns. Minimal processing on the point cloud will tell you that there's an obstacle, and you don't need more than that to start trying to avoid hitting it. A simple occupancy grid map, for instance, would suffice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupancy_grid_mapping https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupancy_grid_mapping
- nabla9 9y agoThe problem with naive occupancy grid mapping from sparse LIDAR data is that things like birds, falling leaves, pieces of paper of plastic bags flying in the wind can mark the grid occupied. Emergency breaking for all these cases would be very dangerous. The same object must be scanned multiple times to get the idea if the object is something to be avoided.
- wnoise 9y agoQuite true -- but LIDAR has a very high refresh rate, and it's not hard to do better than naive grid mapping. This was a full height pedestrian plus bicycle, which would have multiple nice returns from a Velodyne HDL 64 at these distances.
- smileysteve 9y agoBirds, plastic bags, cardboard boxes, small pieces of wood, and pieces of tires are perfectly good reasons to apply brakes and drive with caution to avoid.