ALTERNATIVE LIDAR TECHNOLOGIES FOR STOCKPILE MONITORING AND REPORTING

Abstract. Accurate volume estimation of salt stockpiles stored in covered facilities is essential for effective management and budgeting in the transportation industry. Due to environmental concerns, salt is stored in indoor facilities. The surveying tools that are widely applied for outdoor stockpile estimation such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Receivers and Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are not applicable for indoor mapping. To address this limitation, our prior research proposed and developed a Stockpile Monitoring and Reporting Technology (SMART) which was designed for indoor stockpile volume estimation. This study builds upon that prior research to evaluate the feasibility and performance of different LiDAR alternatives within the SMART system. Three LiDAR sensors (Velodyne VLP-16, Ouster OS1-32-U, and Blickfeld Cube 1) are compared in terms of system calibration, point cloud registration, and volume estimation. Results demonstrate the impact of LiDAR sensor choice on system performance, occlusion rates, and volumetric accuracy. The findings contribute to expanding the versatility and adaptability of LiDAR technology in SMART applications, allowing for more efficient and accurate stockpile volume estimation.