A single-shot pose estimation approach for a 2D laser rangefinder

摘要

Abstract Two-dimensional (2D) laser rangefinders (LRFs) are widely utilized in various mobilized systems, such as robots, intelligent vehicles (IVs) and mobile mapping. Pose estimation for a 2D LRF has important applications for exterior calibration of multiple sensors, registering light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data from multiple LRFs or from a spinning/nodding LRF, etc. This paper shows that the pose of a 2D LRF can be uniquely determined from a single-shot of a trirectangular trihedron. The pose is estimated by solving a simplified perspective-three-point (P3P) problem and a three-point-registration problem. Compared to the raw noisy LIDAR data, the three control points in the P3P problem are estimated from line fitting of the sensed LIDAR data to guarantee good and reliable estimation results. The proposed method has been validated with both simulation and real data. The results show that the method is accurate and practical. To the best of our knowledge, this paper solves the pose estimation of a 2D LRF by using LIDAR data from one scan for the first time.