Nonparametric methods for full-waveform ladar images

摘要

In the paper, the feasibility of using nonparametric methods to estimate the statistical distributions of full-waveform “Flash” laser radar (ladar) data is demonstrated. Unlike point cloud data, which consists solely of peak range and peak intensity information, full-waveform data captures the entire reflected ladar pulse, which enables more precise ranging and feature segmentation. A correlation-maximization waveform fitting technique yields unexpected values for certain parameters, due to energy loss from absorbent and non-diffuse reflecting surfaces.