LiDAR Using Study

Thanks to Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), autonomous vehicles are able to detect different objects in their environment and measure the distance between them. This device gives an un-manned ground vehicle the ability to see its surroundings in real time. However, the accuracy of LiDAR can be reduced, especially in rainy weather, fog, urban smog and the like. These factors can have disastrous consequences as it increases errors in the vehicle's control computer. The aim of this research was to determine the most appropriate LiDAR frequency for autonomous vehicles, depending on the distance to them and scanning frequency in various weather conditions, therefore it is based on empiric data obtained by using the RoboPeak A1M8 LiDAR. The results obtained in rainy conditions are compared with the same ones in clear weather, using stochastic methods. A direct influence of both the frequencies used and the rain on the accuracy of the LiDAR measurements was found. Range measurement errors increase in rainy weather; as the scanning frequency increases, the results become more accurate but capture a smaller number of object points. The higher frequencies lead to about five times less error at the farthest distances compared to the lower frequencies.