Analyzing LiDAR Return Signal Strengths for Target Optical Surfaces and Atmospheric Conditions

Body Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems are becoming increasingly important with the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles. Pulsed LiDAR is the most common form of automotive LiDAR system, though there are other types being developed such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave LiDAR systems. Pulsed LiDARs generate short laser pulses in the near infrared and then measure the time it takes for a reflected signal to return to a detector. This time-of-flight measurement can then be used to calculate the distance to the reflecting, or target, object. By scanning the laser pulses over the instrument’s field of view, a three-dimensional image of the surrounding objects can be generated.