Comparative study of road and urban object classification based on mobile laser scanners

Abstract. Recently, the rapid development of new laser technologies has led to the continuous evolution of mobile laser systems, resulting in even greater capabilities for transport infrastructure. However, the market offers numerous MLS systems with varying specifications for global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), inertial measurement units (IMU), and laser scanners, which can result in different accuracies, resolutions, and densities. In this regard, this paper aims to compare two different MLS system, integrated with different GNSS and IMU for mapping in road and urban environments. The study evaluates the performance of these sensors using different classifiers and neighborhood sizes to determine which sensor produces better results. Random forest was found to be the most suitable classifier with an overall accuracy of (91.81% for Optech and 94.38% for Riegl) in road environment and (86.39% for Optech and 84.21% for Riegl) in urban environment. In terms of MLS, Optech achieved the highest accuracy in the road environment, while Riegl obtained the highest accuracy in the urban environment. This study provides valuable insights into the most effective MLS systems and approaches for accurate mapping in road and urban infrastructure.