➢ LIDAR Sensor
For distance measurement and useful for mapping purpose:
➢ LIDAR -> Light Inspection Detection and Ranging (Laser imaging detection and ranging)
A LiDAR instrument principally consists of a laser, a scanner. Three types of
LiDAR are topographic and bathymetric. Topographic LiDAR typically uses a
near-infrared laser to map the land, while bathymetric LiDAR uses water-
penetrating green light to also measure seafloor and riverbed elevations. Third is
terrestrial Lidar.
➢ How Does LiDAR Work
The technology is quite similar to that of RADAR (radio-wave navigation used by
ships and planes) and SONAR (underwater object detection and navigation using
sound, mainly used by submarines) which both use the principle of reflection of
waves for object detection and distance estimation. However, while RADAR is
based on radio waves and SONAR is based on sounds, LIDAR is based on Light
beams (Laser).
LIDAR systems could fire up to 1,000,000 light pulses per seconds and use the
time taken for the pulses to be reflected back to the scanner to determine the
distance at which objects and surfaces around the scanner are located. The
technique used for the distance determination is known as time of flight and it’s
equation is given below.
Distance = (Speed of Light x Time of Flight) / 2
There are two different technologies of LIDAR:
➢ About LiDAR:
LIDAR requires a strong focused light source, a sensitive and fast receiver and a
quick processor to analyze the signal and produce meaningful data. Super-fast
processors like the ones used in video games have brought the processing costs
down drastically.
The principle of LIDAR operation is pretty simple. A focused light beam is aimed
at an object and a sensor looks for its reflection. If the beam is detected its
intensity and angle (or phase) is measured. These values are then plugged into
an equation run by a fast onboard computer to determine the reflecting objects
position and characteristics.
TF- mini Lidar Series
TF – mini LiDAR Range
TF –mini uses time of flight methodology which emits near-infrared light output.
➢ 2D – LiDAR (with Mirror):
➢ 2D – RPLIDAR (360 degree LIDAR)
In many applications the light beam is moved or scanned to get several points of
reflection, this data is often displayed in a three-dimensional array known as a
“point cloud”.
A point cloud is a collection of 3-D points in space. Just as an image is the output
of a camera, a point cloud is the output of a lidar sensor.
Fig. image of how point cloud has been created using 2D LIDAR
A lidar sensor captures attributes such as the location in xy-coordinates, the
intensity of the laser light, and the surface normal at each point of a point cloud.
➢ 3D – LiDAR:
3D LiDAR sensors function like their 2D counterparts, but additional
measurements are taken along the Z axis to collect real 3D data. The third axis
data collection is most often accomplished with multiple lasers at varying angles
or lines of vertical projection.
➢ LiDAR Limitations
LIDAR like every other technology has its shortcomings. The range and accuracy
of LIDAR systems are badly affected during bad weather conditions. For example,
in Foggy conditions, a significant amount of false signals are generated due to
beams being reflected by the fog. This usually leads to the mie scattering effect
and as such, a bulk of the fired beam doesn’t return back to the scanner. A
similar occurrence is experienced with rain as rain particles cause spurious
returns.
Asides weather, LIDAR systems can be fooled (either deliberately or
indeliberately) to think an object exist by flashing “lights” at it.
Flashing a simple laser pointer at the LIDAR system mounted on autonomous
vehicles could disorient the navigation systems of the vehicle, giving it the
impression of the existence of an object where there is none. This flaw especially
in driverless car application of lasers, opens up a lot of security concerns as it
won’t take long for carjackers to refine the principle for use in attacks. It could
also lead to accidents with cars stopping suddenly in the middle of the road if
they sensed what they believed to be another car or a pedestrian.
➢ Advantages and Disadvantages of LiDAR:
Advantages
1. High Speed and accurate data acquisition
2. High Penetration
3. Not affected by the intensity of light in its environment and can be used at
night or in the sun.
4. High Resolution Imaging compared to other methods.
5. No Geometrical Distortions
6. Easily integrates with other data acquisition methods.
7. LIDAR has minimum human dependence which is good in certain applications
where human error could affect the reliability of data.
Disadvantages
1. The cost of LIDAR makes it overkill for certain projects. LIDAR is best
described as relatively expensive.
2. LIDAR systems perform poorly in heavy rain, fog or snow conditions.
3. LIDAR systems generate large datasets which require high computational
resources to process.
4. Unreliable in turbulent water applications.
5. Depending on the wavelength adopted, the performance of LIDAR systems is
limited altitude as the pulses fired in certain kind of LIDARs become ineffective
at certain altitudes.
LIDAR vs Other Technologies:
(1) LIDAR vs Ultrasonic Sensors
Ultrasonic sensors work on essentially the same principle as our LIDAR sensors
except they use ultrasonic sound instead of infrared light. They have a range
from about 2 cm to 4m so they can cover items at closer range than LIDAR but
not as far.
Ultrasonic sound is not as directional as light so an ultrasonic sensor can’t be
used to create a point cloud. As sound travels much slower than light you are
limited to how much data you can gather in a short period of time. And not all
objects reflect ultrasonic sound, some items absorb sound and don’t reflect
enough of it back to get a good reading.
(2) LIDAR vs IR Light Sensor
IR light sensor devices are cheap and as they also work using IR light beams
they are very fast. They have a range that extends from just a few millimeters to
about 10 cm, so they work at a much closer range than LIDAR does. The IR
sensor uses IR LED and IR receiver diode, while LIDAR uses laser light source
and photo receiver.
These simple IR light sensors don’t provide any data on the quality of the
returned light or an actual distance measurement. They are best used as alarm
type sensors that trigger when an external object is detected at a preset range.
Great to send an interrupt to tell your robot that it’s about to hit a wall!
(3) LIDAR vs RADAR
LIDAR is based upon the same principle as RADAR except it makes use of light
beams instead of high frequency radio waves.
A full-fledged RADAR array isn’t that practical for a small robot project, however
small microwave and radar sensors are available. Some items absorb or pass
radio waves and are not detected well using RADAR. Self driving vehicles use a
combination of LIDAR and RADAR sensors. Self driving vehicles use a
combination of LIDAR and RADAR sensors.
3D Lidar View in Application of Autonomous Vehicle:
Room scan application: (2D Top View):
Room Scan application: (3D one side View):
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