Explicit 3D change detection using ray-tracing in spherical coordinates

Change detection is important for autonomous perception systems that operate in dynamic environments. Mapping and tracking components commonly handle two ends of the dynamic spectrum: stationarity and rapid motion. This paper presents a fast algorithm for 3D change detection from LIDAR or equivalent optical range sensors, that can operate from arbitrary viewpoints and can detect fast and slow dynamics. Distinct from prior work, the method explicitly detects changes in the world, and suppresses apparent changes in the data due to exploration at frontiers or behind occlusions. Comprehensive experimentation is performed to assess the performance in several application domains. Sample data and source code are provided.