Two-Stage Extrinsic Calibration of a Static Line-Scanning Lidar with a Rotary Platform

Abstract:A line-scanning lidar yields range and azimuth values in a fixed plane. To perceive surrounding objects in 3D, there must be relative motion between the lidar plane and the object. Thus, using a rotating base-platform is promising for industrial applications where objects need to be scanned or inspected precisely, and is the main focus of this work. In the rotary platform setup, a 3D point cloud of an object can be constructed if the axis of rotation and the precise motion about that axis are known. However, this setup gives rise to the following problem: how can the axis of rotation of the platform be accurately identified with respect to the lidar coordinate system? It is referred to as the calibration problem in the robotics community. Any inaccuracy in this transformation directly affects the quality of the reconstructed point cloud, leading to misrepresentation of the object of interest. In this work, we explore automated approaches to statically and dynamically estimate the transformation of a rotary platform's axis of rotation with respect to a static line-scanning lidar. The proposed algorithms have been validated on real-world datasets obtained from a custom made rotary platform and an FMCW lidar, and their convergence characteristics are studied for various initial conditions.

8 pages, 13 figures. Manuscript accepted to the 2026 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)

Robotics (cs.RO); Signal Processing (eess.SP)

arXiv:2607.18578 [cs.RO]

(or arXiv:2607.18578v1 [cs.RO] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2607.18578 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.

Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.

Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs.