Vapor detection in lidar point cloud

A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

• receiving dual return lidar data outputted by a lidar sensor system of the autonomous vehicle, the dual return lidar data comprising two lidar returns per channel detected responsive to a light beam emitted by the lidar sensor system into a driving environment of the autonomous vehicle;
• assigning a label to an object captured in the dual return lidar data comprising the two lidar returns per channel, wherein the label identifies a type of the object, wherein the label is assigned based upon a probability determined for the type of the object from amongst a predefined set of types, wherein the predefined set of types comprises vapor, wherein the probability is determined for the type of the object based on the dual return lidar data comprising the two lidar returns per channel, wherein the probability is determined for the type of the object being at a first range value corresponding to a strongest lidar return in the dual return lidar data, and wherein the probability is determined based on the first range value, a first intensity value of the strongest lidar return, a second range value corresponding to a farthest lidar return in the dual return lidar data, and a second intensity value of the farthest lidar return;
• and
• controlling at least one of a vehicle propulsion system, a braking system, or a steering system of the autonomous vehicle based on the label assigned to the object, wherein the vehicle propulsion system, the braking system, and the steering system are controlled such that the object is ignored when the object is assigned the label of vapor.

A method of for controlling an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

• receiving dual return lidar data outputted by a lidar sensor system of the autonomous vehicle, the dual return lidar data comprising a first intensity value of a strongest lidar return and a second intensity value of a farthest lidar return per channel detected responsive to a light beam emitted by the lidar sensor system at a particular azimuthal angle into a driving environment of the autonomous vehicle, the dual return lidar data further comprising a first range value corresponding to the strongest lidar return and a second range value corresponding to the farthest lidar return;
• determining probabilities for predefined object types based on the dual return lidar data, wherein the predefined object types comprise vapor, wherein a probability is determined for a type of an object being at the first range value, and wherein the probability is determined based on the first range value, the first intensity value of the strongest lidar return, the second range value, and the second intensity value of the farthest lidar return;
• projecting the dual return lidar data outputted by the lidar sensor system onto data outputted by a differing sensor system of the autonomous vehicle;
• determining whether at least one of the strongest lidar return or the farthest lidar return per channel as projected corresponds to the data outputted by the differing sensor system;
• modifying the probabilities for the predefined object types based on the determination of whether at least one of the strongest lidar return or the farthest lidar return per channel as projected corresponds to the data outputted by the differing sensor system;
• and
• controlling at least one of a vehicle propulsion system, a braking system, or a steering system of the autonomous vehicle based on the probabilities for the predefined object types as modified.