Velodyne HDL-64E lidar for unmanned surface vehicle obstacle detection

TLDR

The Velodyne HDL‑64E is a 64‑laser 3D LIDAR with a 360° horizontal and 26.8° vertical field of view, originally designed for DARPA Urban Challenge ground vehicles. This study evaluates the HDL‑64E’s performance for obstacle detection and avoidance on unmanned surface vehicles in marine settings. The authors assess the sensor’s ability to identify sea‑borne objects through visual inspection of raw point clouds and a simple automated detection algorithm, while noting operational complications.

Abstract

The Velodyne HDL-64E is a 64 laser 3D (360×26.8 degree) scanning LIDAR. It was designed to fill perception needs of DARPA Urban Challenge vehicles. As such, it was principally intended for ground use. This paper presents the performance of the HDL-64E as it relates to the marine environment for unmanned surface vehicle (USV) obstacle detection and avoidance. We describe the sensor's capacity for discerning relevant objects at sea- both through subjective observations of the raw data and through a rudimentary automated obstacle detection algorithm. We also discuss some of the complications that have arisen with the sensor.