Terrain Ray-Tracing Boundaries for Real-Time LiDAR Mapping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Generating real-time terrain maps for aerial vehicles is challenging due to the excessive computational resources required for ray-tracing techniques, especially when using long-range LiDAR sensors.
Innovation Solution
Defining a boundary based on the altitude of the terrain to limit the ray-tracing volume, reducing the computational resources needed for ray-tracing and enabling real-time terrain map generation using both short and long-range LiDAR sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If ray-tracing is performed over the entire volume between sensor coordinates and the aerial vehicle, then measurement precision is improved, but computational resources increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the ray-tracing volume into multiple segments using altitude-based boundaries (first boundary from maximum altitude, second boundary from minimum altitude). This segmentation allows the system to perform ray-tracing only within relevant altitude ranges for different terrain features, reducing the total computational volume while maintaining measurement precision for the actual terrain being mapped.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different ray-tracing boundary conditions to different spatial regions. By setting altitude-specific boundaries (maximum altitude boundary and minimum altitude boundary), the system tailors the ray-tracing computation to local terrain characteristics, performing computations only where terrain data exists rather than uniformly across the entire sensor range.
2Area of stationary object
If long-range LiDAR sensors are used for terrain generation, then terrain coverage is improved, but real-time processing capability deteriorates due to increased computational load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the long-range sensor data processing into altitude-based portions, creating first and second ray-tracing boundaries that divide the processing volume. This allows the system to handle extensive terrain coverage from long-range sensors while processing data in manageable altitude segments, enabling real-time generation despite the increased coverage area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs ray-tracing only within the necessary altitude boundaries derived from the terrain data itself, rather than processing the entire possible range of long-range sensors. This partial action approach processes only the relevant portion of sensor data needed for terrain mapping, maintaining real-time capability while utilizing long-range sensor coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
Ray-tracing for terrain mapping is provided. A system of an aerial vehicle can identify points generated from data captured by a sensor of the aerial vehicle. The points can each indicate a respective altitude value of a portion of terrain. The system can determine, based on the altitude values of the points, a threshold altitude of the terrain, and can identify a boundary defined in part based on the threshold altitude of the terrain. The system can generate a terrain map for the terrain based on applying a ray-tracing process to the points. The ray-tracing process can be performed within the boundary, using the points as respective sources and the aerial vehicle as a destination. The system can present a graphical representation of the terrain map in a graphical user interface of the aerial vehicle.