POSITION AND LOCATION DETECTION OF OBJECTS

A method for position and location determination of objects, particularly uncooperative objects. A 3D sensor delivers data of the target object, which are compared with target object data stored in a model database and are used both for an initial position and location estimation and for a subsequent more accurate position and location estimation of the target object. The 3D sensor, preferably a LIDAR, delivers the data relating to a sensor coordinate system in the form of a 3D point cloud, which is converted to a depth image in which each pixel receives a gray value, which corresponds to a depth within a cuboid surrounding the target object. The method for initial position and location estimation is based on 2D template matching By using depth data, three of six degrees of freedom can be eliminated, resulting in a robust and fast method for initial position and location estimation.