Suitability of Various Lidar and Radar Sensors for Application in Robotics: A Measurable Capability Comparison

Abstract

Lidar and radar sensors are widely used to obtain depth information for various applications in the field of robotics, such as navigation <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[1]</xref> , collision avoidance <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref2" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[2]</xref> , surveillance <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref3" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[3]</xref> , and map generation <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref4" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[4]</xref> . These two sensors are becoming increasingly popular as perception systems for autonomous mobile robots. However, as a result of their versatility and popularity, lidar and radar sensors come in a variety of specifications, sizes, and prices. Consequently, it has become essential to quantitatively evaluate these two sensors from various situational perspectives. This is required for a comprehensive selection of the most appropriate sensors or combinations thereof for the target applications.