A simple method for the preliminary analysis and benchmarking of automotive LiDARs in fog

The vast multitude of LiDAR systems currently available on the market makes the need for methods to compare their performances increasingly high. In this study, we focus our attention on the development of a method for the analysis of the effects induced by the fog, one of the main challenges for Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADASs) and autonomous driving. Large experimental setups capable of reconstructing adverse weather conditions on a large scale in a controlled and repeatable way are certainly the best test conditions to analyze and compare LiDARs performances in the fog. Nonetheless, such large plants are extremely expensive and complex, therefore only available in a few sites in the world. In this study, we thus propose a measurement method, a data analysis procedure and, an experimental setup that are extremely simple and inexpensive to implement. The achievable results are reasonably less accurate than those obtainable with large plants. Nevertheless, the proposed method can allow to easily and quickly obtain a preliminary estimate of the performance in the presence of fog and a rapid benchmarking of different LiDAR systems.