Localising transportable apparatus

1. A method-of localising a transportable apparatus within an environment, the method comprising:

receiving data obtained from a ranging sensor device of the transportable apparatus configured to collect information relating to at least a surface over which the transportable apparatus is moving in an environment, the ranging sensor device including a clock configured to provide timing information relating to the information relating to at least the surface;

reconstructing motion of the transportable apparatus over a period when the ranging sensor device data was created to generate a new 3D point cloud of the environment, wherein reconstructing motion uses information regarding linear and rotational velocities of the transportable apparatus provided during the period,

obtaining information regarding rotational velocity from a rotational velocity measuring device, the rotational velocity measuring device including a clock to provide timing information relating to the rotational velocity information;

obtaining information regarding linear velocity from a linear velocity measuring device configured to provide information relating to linear velocity of the transportable apparatus, the linear velocity measuring device including a clock to provide timing information relating to the linear velocity information;

calibrating the clock of the ranging sensor device, the clock of the linear velocity measuring device and the clock of the rotational velocity measuring device in order to coordinate information provided by those devices in terms of timing;

adjusting the velocity information provided by the linear velocity measuring device in view of a bias factor, wherein computing the bias factor includes:

scaling observed velocity information over a test section of the environment;

generating a scaled 3D point cloud for the test section;

attempting to align the scaled 3D point cloud with a part of the existing 3D point cloud corresponding to the test section; and

using information relating to the attempted alignment to compute the bias factor;

obtaining data representing an existing 3D point cloud of at least part of the environment; and

matching the new 3D point cloud with, or within, the existing 3D point cloud in order to localise the transportable apparatus with respect to the existing point cloud.

2. A method, of localizing a transportable apparatus within an environment, the method comprising:

receiving data obtained from a ranging sensor device of the transportable apparatus configured to collect information relating to at least a surface over which the transportable apparatus is moving in an environment, the ranging sensor device including a clock configured to provide timing information relating to the information relating to at least the surface;

reconstructing motion of the transportable apparatus over a period when the ranging sensor device data was created to generate a new 3D point cloud of the environment, wherein reconstructing motion uses information regarding linear and rotational velocities of the transportable apparatus provided during the period,

obtaining information regarding rotational velocity from a rotational velocity measuring device, the rotational velocity measuring device including a clock to provide timing information relating to the rotational velocity information;

obtaining information regarding linear velocity from a linear velocity measuring device configured to provide information relating to linear velocity of the transportable apparatus, the linear velocity measuring device including a clock to provide timing information relating to the linear velocity information;

calibrating the clock of the ranging sensor device, the clock of the linear velocity measuring device and the clock of the rotational velocity measuring device in order to coordinate information provided by those devices in terms of timing;

adjusting the velocity information provided by the linear velocity measuring device in view of a bias factor, wherein computing of the bias factor includes:

analysing the ranging sensor data to identify a first set of repeated features in the environment;

analysing the existing 3D point cloud data to identify a second set of repeated features;

computing a warping function to align the first set of repeated features and the second set of repeated features; and

using the warping function to determine the bias factor,

obtaining data representing an existing 3D point cloud of at least part of the environment; and

matching the new 3D point cloud with, or within, the existing 3D point cloud in order to localise the transportable apparatus with respect to the existing point cloud.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the repeated features comprise road markings.

4. A non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium computer code that when executed by one or more processors causes a process for localizing a vehicle along a route to be carried out, the process comprising:

receiving data obtained from a ranging sensor device of the transportable apparatus configured to collect information relating to at least a surface over which the transportable apparatus is moving in an environment;

using the ranging sensor device data to generate a new 3D point cloud of the environment by:

reconstructing motion of the transportable apparatus over a period when the ranging sensor device data was created to generate the new 3D point cloud;

using information regarding linear and rotational velocities of the transportable apparatus provided during the period to generate the new 3D point cloud;

wherein the ranging sensor device includes a clock configured to provide timing information relating to the information relating to at least the surface;

wherein the information regarding rotational velocity is obtained from a rotational velocity measuring device, the rotational velocity measuring device including a clock to provide timing information relating to the rotational velocity information;

wherein the information regarding linear velocity is obtained from a linear velocity measuring device configured to provide information relating to linear velocity of the transportable apparatus, the linear velocity measuring device including a clock to provide timing information relating to the linear velocity information;

calibrating the clock of the ranging sensor device, the clock of the linear velocity measuring device and the clock of the rotational velocity measuring device in order to coordinate information provided by those devices in terms of timing, wherein the calibrating involves computing probabilistic mappings between the clocks; and

adjusting the velocity information provided by the linear velocity measuring device in view of a bias factor, wherein the bias factor is computed by:

scaling observed velocity information over a test section of the environment;

generating a scaled 3D point cloud for the test section;

attempting to align the scaled 3D point cloud with a part of the existing 3D point cloud corresponding to the test section; and

using information relating to the attempted alignment to compute the bias factor

obtaining data representing an existing 3D point cloud of at least part of the environment; and

seeking to match the new 3D point cloud with, or within, the existing 3D point cloud in order to localise the transportable apparatus with respect to the existing point cloud.

5. A non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium comprising computer code that when executed by one or more processors causes a process for localizing a vehicle along a route to be carried out, the process comprising:

receiving data obtained from a ranging sensor device of the transportable apparatus configured to collect information relating to at least a surface over which the transportable apparatus is moving in an environment;

using the ranging sensor device data to generate a new 3D point cloud of the environment by:

reconstructing motion of the transportable apparatus over a period when the ranging sensor device data was created to generate the new 3D point cloud;

using information regarding linear and rotational velocities of the transportable apparatus provided during the period to generate the new 3D point cloud;

wherein the ranging sensor device includes a clock configured to provide timing information relating to the information relating to at least the surface;

wherein the information regarding rotational velocity is obtained from a rotational velocity measuring device, the rotational velocity measuring device including a clock to provide timing information relating to the rotational velocity information;

wherein the information regarding linear velocity is obtained from a linear velocity measuring device configured to provide information relating to linear velocity of the transportable apparatus, the linear velocity measuring device including a clock to provide timing information relating to the linear velocity information;

calibrating the clock of the ranging sensor device, the clock of the linear velocity measuring device and the clock of the rotational velocity measuring device in order to coordinate information provided by those devices in terms of timing, wherein the calibrating involves computing probabilistic mappings between the clocks; and

adjusting the velocity information provided by the linear velocity measuring device in view of a bias factor, wherein the bias factor is computed by:

analysing the ranging sensor data to identify a first set of repeated features in the environment;

analysing the existing 3D point cloud data to identify a second set of repeated features;

computing a warping function to align the first set of repeated features and the second set of repeated features; and

using the warping function to determine the bias factor;

wherein the repeated features comprise road markings

obtaining data representing an existing 3D point cloud of at least part of the environment; and

seeking to match the new 3D point cloud with, or within, the existing 3D point cloud in order to localise the transportable apparatus with respect to the existing point cloud.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ranging sensor device comprises a LIDAR device.

7. The method according to claim 6 , where, in use, a beam of the LIDAR device is aimed to continually strike the surface whilst the transportable apparatus is moving in use.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the LIDAR device is declined at an angle in a range of around 10° to 90° with respect to a main horizontal axis of the transportable apparatus.

9. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the ranging sensor device comprises a LIDAR device.

10. The method according to claim 9 , where, in use, a beam of the LIDAR device is aimed to continually strike the surface whilst the transportable apparatus is moving in use.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the LIDAR device is declined at an angle in a range of around 10° to 90° with respect to a main horizontal axis of the transportable apparatus.