Assessment of Lateral Structural Details of Targets Using Principles of Full-Waveform Light Detection and Ranging

In remote sensing domains, it is difficult to evaluate the lateral structures using the current remote sensing techniques. The mathematical peak intensity formula of the echo waveform modulated by the lateral structures establishes a quantitative yet concise relationship between the peak intensity and the lateral structures, enabling the retrieval of lateral structural details in terms of inverting the formula. The process of the retrieval includes: 1) mathematical formula derivation; 2) target shape discrimination; and 3) mathematical formula inversion. Using the sizes estimated from the simulated echo waveforms, this study demonstrates how the estimated lateral structures are affected by the number of lateral structural parameters to be solved, instrument noise, movement direction, target shape, and target size. The results reveal that for unknown target size and lateral structures, the averaged size errors are 0.56% and 4.30%, respectively. When the instrument noise is absent and only the target size is unknown, the size error averaged over four shapes is 0.3%, and the size error averaged over the square, circle, and triangle is 0.04%. When only the size is unknown, the size errors of the rectangle, square, circle, and triangle estimated by fitting the experimental peak intensity with the formula are 2.41%, 3.47%, 0.89%, and 1.42%, respectively. The small size errors prove the possibility of retrieving the lateral sizes at a centimeter-level resolution and a distance of hundreds of kilometers, which is of great practical significance in precisely mapping the lateral structures of 3-D targets using full-waveform light detection and ranging (FW-LiDAR).

Automated summary

In remote sensing domains, evaluating lateral structures is challenging. A mathematical formula relating peak intensity and lateral structures allows for the retrieval of detailed lateral structural information. The study demonstrates the effects of various parameters on the estimation of lateral structures using simulated echo waveforms, showing the possibility of retrieving lateral sizes with high accuracy and practical significance.