LiDAR Point Cloud Fusion via Temporal Slicing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-LiDAR systems face spatio-temporal inconsistencies when fusing point clouds from multiple sensors, leading to artifacts like shadowing and discontinuities due to relative motion between objects and sensors, which affects the accuracy of three-dimensional perception in autonomous systems.
Innovation Solution
The system phase-locks LiDAR sensors at calibrated cut angles and splits the 360° rotation into slices, assigning timestamps to each slice to fuse point clouds separately, ensuring spatio-temporal consistency and reducing latency by processing data before the end of a rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple LiDAR sensors are used to enhance three-dimensional perception coverage, then the coverage and accuracy of environmental mapping is improved, but spatio-temporal inconsistencies and artifacts (shadowing, discontinuities) are introduced due to relative motion between sensors and objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the 360-degree rotation of each LiDAR sensor into multiple time slices (e.g., first slice, second slice). Each slice corresponds to a specific time interval during the rotation cycle. By segmenting the rotation, the system can process point clouds from different temporal intervals separately, preventing mixing of spatio-temporally inconsistent data while maintaining comprehensive environmental coverage.
2Productivity
If point clouds from multiple LiDAR sensors are fused without time slicing, then the processing speed is improved, but artifacts like shadowing and discontinuities are generated due to relative motion during the rotation cycle
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary time-slicing of the LiDAR rotation into distinct temporal intervals before fusion processing. By pre-defining which points belong to which time slice, the system prepares data structures that enable efficient separate processing of each slice, avoiding the need for complex post-processing corrections of motion artifacts.
3Measurement precision
If LiDAR sensors are phase-locked at calibrated cut angles and rotated simultaneously, then spatio-temporal consistency is improved, but device complexity and synchronization control requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the controller receives status information from each LiDAR sensor about its rotation phase and position. Based on this feedback, the controller dynamically adjusts trigger times and rotation phases to maintain precise synchronization. This closed-loop control ensures that all sensors operate at consistent phases while accommodating variations in sensor performance and environmental conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach generates coherent, accurate fused point clouds, reducing artifacts and improving timestamp accuracy, enabling precise three-dimensional perception and decision-making in autonomous systems.
Implementation Method 1
each LiDAR sensor of the plurality of LiDAR sensors being configured to generate a point cloud based on interactions of emitted light with a surrounding environment
Data Source
AI summary
A scanning system includes a plurality of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors, each LiDAR sensor of the plurality of LiDAR sensors being configured to generate a point cloud based on interactions of emitted light with a surrounding environment, and a processor configured to split a full 360° rotation of each LiDAR sensor into a plurality of slices including a first slice and a second slice, to generate a coherent fused point cloud by fusing together portions of point clouds of the plurality of LiDAR sensors corresponding to the first slice, and fusing together portions of point clouds of the plurality of LiDAR sensors corresponding to the second slice, to determine an action for the scanning system to take in response to the generation of the coherent fused point cloud, and to cause the scanning system to implement the action.