Cluster-Based Spin Images for Characterizing Diffuse Objects in 3D Range Data

Detecting and segmenting diffuse targets in laser ranging data is a critical problem for tactical reconnaissance. In this study, we propose a new method that facilitates the characterization of diffuse irregularly shaped objects using "spin images," i.e., local 2D histograms of laser returns oriented in 3D space, and a clustering process. The proposed "cluster-based spin imaging" method resolves the problem of using standard spin images for diffuse targets and it eliminates much of the computational complexity that characterizes the production of conventional spin images. The direct processing of pre-segmented laser points, including internal points that penetrate through a diffuse object's topmost surfaces, avoids some of the requirements of the approach used at present for spin image generation, while it also greatly reduces the high computational time overheads incurred by searches to find correlated images. We employed 3D airborne range data over forested terrain to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method in discriminating the different geometric structures of individual tree clusters. Our experiments showed that cluster-based spin images have the potential to separate classes in terms of different ages and portions of tree crowns.