Automatic registration and visualization of occluded targets using ladar data

Abstract

High-resolution 3D imaging ladar systems can penetrate foliage and camouflage to sample fragments of concealed surfaces of interest. Samples collected while the ladar moves can be integrated into a coherent object shape, provided that sensor poses are known. We detail a system for automatic data-driven registration of ladar frames, consisting of a coarse search stage, a pairwise fine registration stage using an iterated closest points algorithm, and a multi-view registration strategy. We evaluate this approach using simulated and field-collected ladar imagery of foliage-occluded objects. Even after alignment and aggregation, it is often difficult for human observers to find, assess, and recognize objects from a point cloud display. We survey and demonstrate basic display manipulations, surface fitting techniques, and clutter suppression to enhance visual exploitation of 3D imaging ladar data.