Systems and methods for reducing light detection and ranging (LIDAR) target broadening

A non-transitory computer-readable medium for reducing Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) target broadening and storing instructions executed by one or more processors that cause the one or more processors to:

• acquire, at a LIDAR detector, a frame including a plurality of points;
• identify, among the plurality of points, a first set of points for which energy returned to the LIDAR detector exceeds a predetermined energy threshold, wherein the first set of points is reflected from an object;
• identify, among the plurality of points, a second set of points adjacent to the first set of points, wherein the second set of points has an associated range that differs from a range of the first set of points by less than a predetermined range threshold;
• define, as a border, an outline of the second set of points;
• iteratively reduce laser power associated with the first set of points, acquire a new frame, identify the second set of points in the new frame, and define, as the border, the outline of the second set of points in the new frame to cause the border to converge to a stable size;
• and
• output an estimated size of the object based, at least in part, on the stable size of the border.

A method of reducing Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) target broadening, the method comprising:

• acquiring, at a LIDAR detector, a frame including a plurality of points;
• identifying, among the plurality of points, a first set of points for which energy returned to the LIDAR detector exceeds a predetermined energy threshold, wherein the first set of points is reflected from an object;
• identifying, among the plurality of points, a second set of points adjacent to the first set of points, wherein the second set of points has an associated range that differs from a range of the first set of points by less than a predetermined range threshold;
• defining, as a border, an outline of the second set of points;
• iteratively reducing laser power associated with the first set of points, acquiring a new frame, identifying the second set of points in the new frame, and defining as the border, the outline of the second set of points in the new frame to cause the border to converge to a stable size;
• and
• outputting an estimated size of the object based, at least in part, on the stable size of the border.