Solid object detection system using laser and radar sensor fusion

An autonomous vehicle system comprising:

• a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device including:
• a light source configured to be scanned through a scanning zone while emitting light pulses;
• and
• a light detector configured to receive returning reflected signals from light-reflective features in the scanning zone, if any;
• a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) device including:
• an illuminating radio antenna configured to be scanned through the scanning zone;
• and
• a radio receiver configured to detect reflected radio signals from radio-reflective features in the scanning zone, if any;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• instruct the LIDAR device to scan the scanning zone while emitting light pulses;
• receive information from the LIDAR device indicative of the time delays between emission of the light pulses and reception of the corresponding returning reflected signals;
• determine, based on the time delays and orientations of the LIDAR device while emitting the light pulses, a three dimensional (3-D) point map;
• instruct the RADAR device to scan one or more regions of the scanning zone corresponding to one or more light-reflective features indicated by the 3-D point map, to identify one or more radio reflective features;
• determining a temporal offset between the scanning with the LIDAR device and the scanning with the RADAR device;
• associating the one or more radio-reflective features with respective positions in the 3-D point map so as to account for a spatial displacement of the one or more radio-reflective features with respect to the 3-D point map during the temporal offset;
• determine whether the one or more light-reflective features include a solid material by, for each of the one or more light-reflective features:
• responsive to determining that the light-reflective feature is at a position in the 3-D point map that is associated with the radio-reflective feature, determine that the light-reflective feature includes a solid material;
• and
• responsive to determining that the light-reflective feature is at a position in the 3-D point map that is not associated with the radio-reflective feature, determine that the light-reflective feature does not include a solid material;
• and
• control the autonomous vehicle to avoid light-reflective features determined to include a solid material.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors in a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations, the operations comprising:

• scanning a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device associated with an autonomous vehicle through a scanning zone while emitting light pulses;
• determining a three-dimensional (3-D) point map of the scanning zone based on time delays between emitting the light pulses and receiving corresponding returning reflected signals and based on orientations of the LIDAR device while emitting the light pulses;
• scanning, with a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) device associated with the autonomous vehicle, one or more regions of the scanning zone corresponding to one or more light-reflective features indicated by the 3-D point map, to identify one or more radio-reflective features;
• determining a temporal offset between the scanning with the LIDAR device and the scanning with the RADAR device;
• associating the one or more radio-reflective features with respective positions in the 3-D point map so as to account for a spatial displacement of the one or more radio-reflective features with respect to the 3-D point map during the temporal offset;
• determining whether the one or more light-reflective features include a solid material by, for each of the one or more light-reflective features:
• responsive to determining that the light-reflective feature is at a position in the 3-D point map that is associated with the radio-reflective feature, determining that the light-reflective feature includes a solid material;
• and
• responsive to determining that the light-reflective feature is at a position in the 3-D point map that is not associated with the radio-reflective feature, determining that the light-reflective feature does not include a solid material;
• and
• controlling the autonomous vehicle to avoid light-reflective features determined to include a solid material.