Adaptive feature map anchor pruning

A navigation system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled with and readable by the memory and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to prune anchor points from a feature map generated from a Light Detections And Ranging (LiDAR) point cloud by:
• receiving, by a navigation system, a LiDAR point cloud from a LiDAR sensor, the LiDAR point cloud comprising data representing one or more objects in physical surroundings detected by the LiDAR sensor;
• extracting, by the navigation system, a feature map from the LiDAR point cloud, the feature map comprising a plurality of anchor points, each anchor point defined by an anchor box;
• smoothing, by the navigation system, the extracted feature map;
• determining, by the navigation system, density of pixels within the anchor box of each anchor point;
• and
• pruning, by the navigation system, anchor points from the feature map based on a plurality of factors related to the determined density of pixels within the box of each anchor point.

A vehicle comprising:

• a Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) sensor;
• a navigation system coupled with the LiDAR sensor and comprising a processor and a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to prune anchor points from a feature map generated from a Light Detections And Ranging (LiDAR) point cloud by:
• receiving, by a navigation system, a LiDAR point cloud from a LiDAR sensor, the LiDAR point cloud comprising data representing one or more objects in physical surroundings detected by the LiDAR sensor;
• extracting, by the navigation system, a feature map from the LiDAR point cloud, the feature map comprising a plurality of anchor points, each anchor point defined by an anchor box;
• smoothing, by the navigation system, the extracted feature map;
• determining, by the navigation system, density of pixels within the anchor box of each anchor point;
• and
• pruning, by the navigation system, anchor points from the feature map based on a plurality of factors related to the determined density of pixels within the box of each anchor point.