Introduction of a LIDAR-based obstacle detection system on the LineScout power line robot

This paper is a sequel of an earlier paper that featured a thorough characterization of the Hokuyo UTM-30LX laser range finder, which showed promise for a specific application: allowing a power line robot to detect obstacles in its path. After a quick summary of the earlier conclusions, this paper pushes the validation farther by assessing for the first time this popular LIDAR's performance when subjected to the particularly challenging, outdoor, power line environmental conditions: large temperature range, changes in lighting, strong magnetic fields, and oscillating or vibrating targets. Use of return signal intensity, predictably affected by the angle of incidence on the target and by target surface finish, is also investigated as a means to detect variations due to an obstacle. Scanning results with LineScout traveling at maximum speed on a full-scale power line span are then analyzed to validate the proposed detection thresholds.