LiDAR-based estimation of bounding box coordinates using Gaussian process regression and particle swarm optimization

Camera-based object tracking systems in a given closed environment lack privacy and confidentiality. In this study, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) was applied to track objects similar to the camera tracking in a closed environment, guaranteeing privacy and confidentiality. The primary objective was to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed technique through carefully designed experiments conducted using two scenarios. In Scenario I, the study illustrates the capability of the proposed technique to detect the locations of multiple objects positioned on a flat surface, achieved by analyzing LiDAR data collected from several locations within the closed environment. Scenario II demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed technique in detecting multiple objects using LiDAR data obtained from a single, fixed location. Real-time experiments are conducted with human subjects navigating predefined paths. Three individuals move within an environment, while LiDAR, fixed at the center, dynamically tracks and identifies their locations at multiple instances. Results demonstrate that a single, strategically positioned LiDAR can adeptly detect objects in motion around it. Furthermore, this study provides a comparison of various regression techniques for predicting bounding box coordinates. Gaussian process regression (GPR), combined with particle swarm optimization (PSO) for prediction, achieves the lowest prediction mean square error of all the regression techniques examined at 0.01. Hyperparameter tuning of GPR using PSO significantly minimizes the regression error. Results of the experiment pave the way for its extension to various real-time applications such as crowd management in malls, surveillance systems, and various Internet of Things scenarios.