Ranging Performance Analysis in Automotive DToF Lidars

TL;DR

This paper systematically analyzes the ranging performance of various Lidar schemes used in autonomous driving, comparing different optical designs, devices, and measurement methods to guide design trade-offs.

Contribution

It introduces analysis methods for Lidar ranging performance and compares commercial Lidars, providing a framework for optimizing design trade-offs.

Findings

Comparison of several commercial Lidars' ranging performance

Insights into design trade-offs between cost and performance

Framework for improving Lidar schemes

Abstract

In recent years, achieving full autonomy in driving has emerged as a paramount objective for both the industry and academia. Among various perception technologies, Lidar (Light detection and ranging) stands out for its high-precision and high-resolution capabilities based on the principle of light propagation and coupling ranging module and imaging module. Lidar is a sophisticated system that integrates multiple technologies such as optics, mechanics, circuits, and algorithms. Therefore, there are various feasible Lidar schemes to meet the needs of autonomous driving in different scenarios. The ranging performance of Lidar is a key factor that determines the overall performance of autonomous driving systems. As such, it is necessary to conduct a systematic analysis of the ranging performance of different Lidar schemes. In this paper, we present the ranging performance analysis methods corresponding to different optical designs, device selec-tions and measurement mechanisms. By using these methods, we compare the ranging perfor-mance of several typical commercial Lidars. Our findings provide a reference framework for de-signing Lidars with various trade-offs between cost and performance, and offer insights into the advancement towards improving Lidar schemes.