Registration of lines in 2D LIDAR scans via functions of angles

Abstract

A novel algorithm for registration of 2D LIDAR scans that combines two already known but different concepts has been proposed. The algorithm combines the registration of lines and the registration in polar coordinates. The main idea is a new representation of the surrounding area that makes the mentioned combination possible. The algorithm works with line segments in polar coordinates that are expressed as functions of angles. This representation significantly decreases the computation time and enhances the resulting alignment. The presented algorithm was designed for indoor environments that are rich in objects that can be represented by line segments. The algorithm has been tested with many indoor LIDAR scans and is able to align them with high accuracy and in real-time.