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Data collection

Prerequisite

  • The intrinsic parameters of the camera (i.e., camera matrix and distortion coefficients) need to be calibrated beforehand.
  • The camera and LiDAR must be rigidly fixed.

Data collection steps

  • Keep the sensor at rest and start recording Image and PointCloud2 messages. We recommend recording CameraInfo as well if it is available.
  • [For a non-repetitive scan LiDAR (Livox)] Wait for 10 ~ 15 sec without moving the sensor.
  • [For a spinning LiDAR (Ouster)] Move the sensor up and down slowly for 10 sec. If your LiDAR has fewer scan lines (e.g., 16 or 32 lines), keep moving it a bit longer (e.g., 20 ~ 30 sec).
  • Stop recording.

Note

While the calibration can be performed with only one rosbag at a minimum, we recommend taking several (5 ~ 10) rosbags for better calibration results.

Data acquisition example for an Ouster OS1-128:

Keep in mind

  • The sensor must be kept at rest at the beginning of each rosbag to ensure that the first point cloud and image are taken at the same pose.
  • LiDAR intensity data must exhibit some texture and geometry information. Be aware of that some LiDARs (e.g., Livox Avia) returns invalid intensity values for too close points.