LADAR-BASED MOTION ESTIMATION FOR NAVIGATION
First Claim
1. A method for estimating motion with at least one laser radar, the method comprising:
- scanning a first range image at a first time;
identifying a plurality of object features in the first range image;
scanning a second range image at a second time;
receiving motion data from a host vehicle having the at least one laser radar for a time period between the first and second times;
identifying the plurality of object features in the second range image based, at least in part, on the motion data of the host vehicle to determine an orientation of least one object; and
based on the orientation of the at least one object with respect to a change in position of the host vehicle, estimating motion of the host vehicle by comparing the location of the plurality of object features in the first scanned range image to the location of the plurality of object features in the second scanned range image.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for estimating motion with at least one laser radar is disclosed. The method involves scanning a first range image at a first time, locating a plurality of object features in the first range image, scanning a second range image at a second time, receiving motion data for a time period between the first and second times, and locating the plurality of object features in the second range image based, at least in part, on the motion data to determine an orientation of the object. Based on the orientation of the object, the method estimates motion by comparing the location of the plurality of object features in the first scanned range image to the location of the plurality of object features in the second scanned range image.
33 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method for estimating motion with at least one laser radar, the method comprising:
-
scanning a first range image at a first time; identifying a plurality of object features in the first range image; scanning a second range image at a second time; receiving motion data from a host vehicle having the at least one laser radar for a time period between the first and second times; identifying the plurality of object features in the second range image based, at least in part, on the motion data of the host vehicle to determine an orientation of least one object; and based on the orientation of the at least one object with respect to a change in position of the host vehicle, estimating motion of the host vehicle by comparing the location of the plurality of object features in the first scanned range image to the location of the plurality of object features in the second scanned range image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A motion estimation system, comprising:
-
at least one laser radar configured to scan a first range at a first time and a second range at a second time; an inertial measurement unit configured to obtain motion data of a host vehicle for the time period between the first time and the second time; and a processing unit coupled to the inertial measurement unit and the at least one laser radar, the processing unit configured to; determine an enhanced absolute orientation of a plurality of 3-dimensional point features in at least one of the second ranges based at least in part on the motion data and a change in position of the host vehicle for the time period between the first time and the second time, and estimate motion of the host vehicle by comparing the enhanced absolute orientation of the plurality of 3-dimensional point features in the two first ranges with the enhanced absolute orientation of the plurality of 3-dimensional point features in the respective two second ranges. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A program product comprising program instructions embodied on a processor-readable medium for execution by at least one programmable processor in a motion estimation system, wherein the program instructions are operable to cause the programmable processor to:
-
identify one or more 3-dimensional point features of an object in each of two first laser radar scans at a first time; evaluate inertial measurement data of a host vehicle having the motion estimation system and navigating an area near the object for a time period between the first time and a second time; identify the one or more 3-dimensional point features in at least one of two second laser radar scans received at the second time based at least in part on the inertial measurement data; correlate the one or more 3-dimensional point features in the first laser radar scans to the one or more 3-dimensional point features in the second laser radar scans to determine an absolute orientation of the object; and output the calculated motion estimate based, at least in part, on the absolute orientation of the object and a change in position of the host vehicle within the area being navigated. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification