How to create a map from raw point cloud data?

[pallyra1]

Hey, I am using autoware for localisation and mapping. If I have a rosbag file which has raw point cloud data, it includes so many redundant information. How to filter that information and create a map (only necessary physical assets like traffic lights, poles, lanes etc.) out of it? How have they created the clean point cloud files (which could be used for mapping)?

[kitsukawa]

Thank you for using Autoware. The mapping function (ndt_mapping) uses raw point cloud data, so the map contains redundant information such as dynamic objects. There is no function to filter such redundant information now. We are working on developing functions to remove unnecessary point cloud from map but I can not say when it is finished. Regarding the physical assets like traffic lights, poles, etc (we call it vector map), you can create vector map from point cloud map created in advance using MapTools(https://maptools.tier4.jp/).

[aleksander-lukashou]

Dear Yuki, Please let me know if Vector Mapper works fine for you. I've tried to launch it, but ended up waiting for awhile and staring at message that "138.91.198.185 took too long to respond". Is there some specific hours when your server is overloaded?

[Nicholas-Autio-Mitchell]

I am enjoying Autoware and would also like to create map data generated from point clouds. Like @va9abund - I am also unable to get past the loading screen (https://maptools.tier4.jp/prepare/).

@kitsukawa Is there any update regarding this tool?

Thanks again for making great open source tools!

[kitsukawa]

In my environment, vector mapper is working now. Can you try to logout and login again? Maybe, it takes time to initialize the instance. I am sorry for the inconvenience.

[Nicholas-Autio-Mitchell]

@kitsukawa - thanks for your response. After trying again a few times it eventually worked, and then would start up much more quickly (once it had worked for the first time). It looks very promising :smile:

Two quick questions:

1. are there any guidelines for using VecotMapper?
2. Is it possible to automate much/any of the process of creating the vector map?

I was only able to manually connect single lidar points - I could export the coordinates as desired.

[aleksander-lukashou]

@kitsukawa, I've tried login/logout a lot of times, didn't help, even tried to connect through Japanese proxy. I looked this issue up, in google group and bunch of other forums and it seems to be quite common problem. If so, have you ever consider to create some offline tool with the same functionality? I'd buy some subscription/license.

P.S. I keep going to try start it up anyway :)

[jraclarke]

I'm not sure if this will help, but I experienced a few problems when connecting via my work network and these turned out to be firewall settings. I managed to get the tool working from a home network.

[Nicholas-Autio-Mitchell]

@va9abund - I am also in Europe. I think the time of day is important as it is a cloud-based service with limited resources. I haven''t been able to start it this morning yet, but it working on Friday from about 17:00 CET, which would've been the middle of the night for Japan (I assume the main userbase is there...).

[aleksander-lukashou]

@Nicholas-Mitchell, thanks for info, it might be helpful. I've never tried checking it out at home actually.

[wsung1]

In my experience, I had almost no problem to connect to the vector mapper. Maybe this is because I tried connecting at the late night for Japan, as @Nicholas-Mitchell suggested. However, I had nothing to do because the vector mapper didn't respond at all. Even the uploaded pcd files of mine couldn't be displayed. Rather, it just kept showing

[Nicholas-Autio-Mitchell]

@wsung1 - After loading your uploaded file (I think in File > Load File, or something similar) - I also had the problem of not being able to see any data. Just a small thing you may try: find the settings for displaying the actual point clouds - click on the white color tab to the right of PCD in your screenshot. (Otherwise, perhaps look in Edit for some preferences). You can select the RGB values (e.g. 255, 255, 255) as well as intensity and point visualisation size. Other settings like this might help. My points were extremely faint and barely visible until I did that.

[I only managed to connect once and don't have it in front of me now, so cannot be more precise with my hints - apologies]

[wsung1]

Thank you for all those details but the vector mapper is still being frozen, which means it never responds at all including its drop-down menu "File" - "Open PCD file...". I'll try as you described when it starts to thaw. Thanks anyway, @Nicholas-Mitchell :)

[johnbryant1]

Hi I have created multiple PCD files by just driving my kinect camera around in a room and uploaded them in vector mapper (https://maptools.tier4.jp/vector_mapper_description/). The derived vector map is just a gray map as illustrated below :

should the pcd files be something more than just pointcloud data of the environment? Thanks in advance.

[gbiggs]

Thanks for using Autoware and for your question. However the issue tracker is for posting confirmed bugs and feature requests.

We ask that you please ask questions on the Autoware Discourse category following our support guidelines: https://github.com/CPFL/Autoware/wiki/Support-guidelines. Please pay particular attention to the information we ask you to provide.