filters.teaser

The TEASER filter uses the Truncated least squares Estimation And SEmidefinite Relaxation (TEASER) algorithm [Yang2020] to calculate a rigid transformation that best aligns two datasets. The first input to the ICP filter is considered the “fixed” points, and all subsequent points are “moving” points. The output from the filter are the “moving” points after the calculated transformation has been applied, one point view per input. The transformation matrix is inserted into the stage’s metadata.

Examples

[
    "fixed.las",
    "moving.las",
    {
        "type": "filters.teaser"
    },
    "output.las"
]

To get the transform matrix, you’ll need to use the --metadata option from the pipeline command:

$ pdal pipeline teaser-pipeline.json --metadata teaser-metadata.json

The metadata output might start something like:

{
    "stages":
    {
        "filters.teaser":
        {
            "centroid": "    583394  5.2831e+06   498.152",
            "composed": "           1  2.60209e-18 -1.97906e-09       -0.374999  8.9407e-08            1  5.58794e-09      -0.614662 6.98492e -10 -5.58794e-09            1   0.033234           0            0            0            1",
            "converged": true,
            "fitness": 0.01953125097,
            "transform": "           1  2.60209e-18 -1.97906e-09       -0.375  8.9407e-08            1  5.58794e-09      -0.5625 6.98492e -10 -5.58794e-09            1   0.00411987           0            0            0            1"
        }

To apply this transformation to other points, the centroid and transform metadata items can by used with filters.transformation in another pipeline. First, move the centroid of the points to (0,0,0), then apply the transform, then move the points back to the original location. For the above metadata, the pipeline would be similar to:

[
    {
        "type": "readers.las",
        "filename": "in.las"
    },
    {
        "type": "filters.transformation",
        "matrix": "1 0 0 -583394   0 1 0 -5.2831e+06   0 0 1 -498.152   0 0 0 1"
    },
    {
        "type": "filters.transformation",
        "matrix": "1  2.60209e-18 -1.97906e-09       -0.375  8.9407e-08            1  5.58794e-09      -0.5625 6.98492e -10 -5.58794e-09            1   0.00411987           0            0            0            1"
    },
    {
        "type": "filters.transformation",
        "matrix": "1 0 0 583394   0 1 0 5.2831e+06  0 0 1 498.152  0 0 0 1"
    },
    {
        "type": "writers.las",
        "filename": "out.las"
    }
]

Note

The composed metadata matrix is a composition of the three transformation steps outlined above, and can be used in a single call to filters.transformation as opposed to the three separate calls.

Options

nr: Radius to use for normal estimation. [Default: 0.02]
fr: Radius to use when computing features. [Default: 0.04]
fpfh: Use FPFH to find correspondences? [Default: true]

where: An expression that limits points passed to a filter. Points that don’t pass the expression skip the stage but are available to subsequent stages in a pipeline. [Default: no filtering]
where_merge: A strategy for merging points skipped by a ‘where’ option when running in standard mode. If true, the skipped points are added to the first point view returned by the skipped filter. If false, skipped points are placed in their own point view. If auto, skipped points are merged into the returned point view provided that only one point view is returned and it has the same point count as it did when the filter was run. [Default: auto]