Construction and Characterization of a LiDAR Sensor for 3D Environment Mapping

Abstract

This study describes the development and implementation of a stationary terrestrial LiDAR scanner prototype, which was used to assess the impact of spatial aliasing as a function of spatial resolution and measurement distance. Experiments revealed a trend of increasing aliasing with increasing distance, highlighting the correlation between the measurement distance and a decrease in spatial resolution. This finding underscores the importance of carefully choosing a spatial sampling rate to ensure the integrity of the sampled signal. In addition to the experimental findings, data collected with the prototype emphasize its ability to create detailed point clouds, highlighting its effectiveness in capturing the most relevant details of mapped environments. Based on the results obtained, this work provides an understanding of the challenges associated with spatial aliasing, especially in the context of stationary terrestrial LiDAR scanners. Meanwhile, the developed prototype stands out for its effectiveness, demonstrating an optimized balance between cost, performance, functionality, lightweight, and real-time data transmission capability.