Development and calibration of KaRoLa, a compact, high-resolution 3D laser scanner

We present KaRoLa, a new rotating 3D laser scanner with a modular and flexible hardware design and an integrated control software stack implemented in the ROS framework. Based on our requirements - light-weight and compact hardware, high resolution and accuracy - we compare different 2D laser range finders which are commercially available. We describe the hardware design, including the mechanical and electrical components, and the included software stack in detail. Furthermore, we present a particle swarm based calibration method to compensate mounting offsets between the 2D laser scanner and the rotational axis. The calibration significantly improves the overall accuracy and lowers the requirements for the mounting precision. Field studies for evaluating KaRoLa in real-world application scenarios such as planetary exploration and search and rescue missions complete this article.