Vehicle drivable area detection system configured to detect data representing vertical obstacles and a drivable area from a point cloud and provide the data to a driver assist component

A vehicle drivable area detection system, comprising:

• a vehicle;
• at least one 3D sensor installed to the vehicle and being configured to scan and capture data using laser imaging, detection and distance ranging relative to the vehicle, the data representing ground surface features including vertical obstacles, non-vertical obstacles and a drivable area proximate the vehicle within a line-of-sight of the 3D sensor;
• and
• an electronic controller installed within the vehicle and electronically connected to the 3D sensor and at least one driver assist component, the electronic controller configured to:
• (i) retrieve a plurality of data points for an area of the vehicle;
• (ii) identify one or more vertical obstacles where groups of the data points are stacked vertically;
• (iii) filter out groups of the data points that are stacked vertically above a predetermined height;
• (iv) estimate terrain in absence of data points below the filtered groups of data points that are stacked vertically above the predetermined height;
• (v) determine one or more curbs within the terrain;
• and (vi) generate a plurality of data elements identifying the drivable area from at least the estimated terrain and the one or more curbs for the at least one driver assist component.