Ray tracing 3D source modelling for optical reflectance sensing with wireless ranging application

This study delivers a powerful comparison case for six of the most common ray tracing (RT) source models. It demonstrates that in the early stages of the RT algorithm, when only the ray-geometry intersection and ray-reflectance are introduced, the ray source modelling is a pivotal event in the simulation. The six models are compared in a large three-dimensional (3D) scenario of the well-known double-slit experiment, with the comparison metrics delivered by the number of rays that intersect the back screen and the total simulation time. The numerical results for a variable number of 2, 000; 10, 000; 25, 000 and 100, 000 rays that emulate each of the six source models, are accompanied by the simulation's visual output samples to eliminate abstract ambiguities. This work's main contribution applies directly to the RT simulation for wireless ranging, since scientific programming environments such as MA TLAB are extensively utilised in this research field, which provide the required modelling customisation. Moreover, for machine sensing areas involving optical ranging or light detection and ranging (LIDAR) mapping, the presented study provides valuable information about efficient modelling for ray fascicle launching. Furthermore, since RT simulations enable the latest performances in the gaming and animation industries, the basic and clear information presented in this work supports the next generation of their developers in the delivery of hardware and software implementations

LiDAR-Based Real-Time Detection and Modeling of Power Lines for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The effective monitoring and maintenance of power lines are becoming increasingly important due to a global growing dependence on electricity. The costs and risks associated with the traditional foot patrol and helicopter-based inspections can be reduced by using UAVs with the appropriate sensors. However, this implies developing algorithms to make the power line inspection process reliable and autonomous. In order to overcome the limitations of visual methods in the presence of poor light and noisy backgrounds, we propose to address the problem of power line detection and modeling based on LiDAR. The PL 2 DM, Power Line LiDAR-based Detection and Modeling, is a novel approach to detect power lines. Its basis is a scan-by-scan adaptive neighbor minimalist comparison for all the points in a point cloud. The power line final model is obtained by matching and grouping several line segments, using their collinearity properties. Horizontally, the power lines are modeled as a straight line, and vertically as a catenary curve. Using a real dataset, the algorithm showed promising results both in terms of outputs and processing time, adding real-time object-based perception capabilities for other layers of processing