The Robotics Institute

Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute

Copyright notice: This material is presented to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by authors or by other copyright holders. All persons copying this information are expected to adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. These works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.

Abstract

In this report, we characterize experimentally a scanning laser rangefinder that employs active sensing to acquire three-dimensional images. We present experimental techniques applicable to a wide variety of laser scanners, and document the results of applying them to a device manufactured by Perceptron. Nominally, the sensor acquires data over a 60s x 60s field of view in 256 x 256 pixel images at 2Hz. It digitizes both range and reflectance pixels to 12 bits, providing a maximum range of 40m and a depth resolution of 1cm.

We present methods and results from experiments to measure geometric parameters including the field of view, angular scanning increments, and minimum sensing distance. We characterize qualitatively problems caused by implementation flaws, including internal reflections and range drift over time, and problems caused by inherent limitations of the rangefinding technology, including sensitivity to ambient light and surface material. We characterize statistically the precision and accuracy of the range measurements.

We conclude that the performance of the Perceptron scanner does not compare favorably with the nominal performance, that scanner modifications are required, and that further experimentation must be conducted.

Notes

Grant ID: NAGW-1175

Associated Center(s) / Consortia: Vision and Autonomous Systems Center

Number of pages: 44

Text Reference

In So Kweon, Regis Hoffman, and Eric Krotkov, "Experimental Characterization of the Perceptron Laser Rangefinder," tech. report CMU-RI-TR-91-01, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, January, 1991

BibTeX Reference

@techreport{Kweon_1991_246,
   author = "In So Kweon and Regis Hoffman and Eric Krotkov",
   title = "Experimental Characterization of the Perceptron Laser Rangefinder",
   booktitle = "",
   institution = "Robotics Institute",
   month = "January",
   year = "1991",
   number= "CMU-RI-TR-91-01",
   address= "Pittsburgh, PA",
}

The Robotics Institute

Menu