Development of High-Fidelity Automotive LiDAR Sensor Model with Standardized Interfaces

Arsalan Haider, Marcell Pigniczki, Michael H. Köhler, Maximilian Fink, Michael Schardt, Yannik Cichy, Thomas Zeh, Lukas Haas, Tim Poguntke, Martin Jakobi, Alexander W. Koch

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

This work introduces a process to develop a tool-independent, high-fidelity, ray tracing-based light detection and ranging (LiDAR) model. This virtual LiDAR sensor includes accurate modeling of the scan pattern and a complete signal processing toolchain of a LiDAR sensor. It is developed as a functional mock-up unit (FMU) by using the standardized open simulation interface (OSI) 3.0.2, and functional mock-up interface (FMI) 2.0. Subsequently, it was integrated into two commercial software virtual environment frameworks to demonstrate its exchangeability. Furthermore, the accuracy of the LiDAR sensor model is validated by comparing the simulation and real measurement data on the time domain and on the point cloud level. The validation results show that the mean absolute percentage error (Formula presented.) of simulated and measured time domain signal amplitude is (Formula presented.). In addition, the (Formula presented.) of the number of points (Formula presented.) and mean intensity (Formula presented.) values received from the virtual and real targets are (Formula presented.) and (Formula presented.), respectively. To the author’s knowledge, these are the smallest errors reported for the number of received points (Formula presented.) and mean intensity (Formula presented.) values up until now. Moreover, the distance error (Formula presented.) is below the range accuracy of the actual LiDAR sensor, which is 2 cm for this use case. In addition, the proving ground measurement results are compared with the state-of-the-art LiDAR model provided by commercial software and the proposed LiDAR model to measure the presented model fidelity. The results show that the complete signal processing steps and imperfections of real LiDAR sensors need to be considered in the virtual LiDAR to obtain simulation results close to the actual sensor. Such considerable imperfections are optical losses, inherent detector effects, effects generated by the electrical amplification, and noise produced by the sunlight.

Original languageEnglish
Article number7556
JournalSensors (Switzerland)
Volume22
Issue number19
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2022

Keywords

  • CarMaker
  • advanced driver-assistance systems
  • automotive LiDAR sensor
  • co-simulation environment
  • functional mock-up interface
  • functional mock-up unit
  • open simulation interface
  • open standard
  • point clouds
  • proving ground
  • silicon photomultipliers detector
  • standardized interfaces
  • time domain signal

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