Method and system for virtual sensor data generation with depth ground truth annotation

A sensor data generation system, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• memory operably connected to the one or more processors, the memory storing a plurality of components executable by the one or more processors, the plurality of components comprising:
• a virtual environment programmed to include a plurality of virtual objects;
• a sensor model programmed to model a sensor in the virtual environment;
• a positioning module programmed to set a location and an orientation of the sensor in the virtual environment, wherein at least one of the virtual objects is a mobile virtual object, and wherein the sensor is on the mobile virtual object;
• a simulation module programmed to utilize the virtual environment, the sensor model and the positioning module to produce simulation-generated data characterizing the virtual environment as perceived by the sensor as the mobile virtual object and the virtual sensor move around in the virtual environment to model an output of the sensor in a real-world scenario sensing an actual environment similar to or matching the virtual environment;
• and
• an annotation module programmed to annotate the data with a depth map characterizing a spatial relationship between the sensor and one or more of the plurality of virtual objects in the virtual environment.