I am trying to upload a csv point cloud in matlab and don't really know where to start.

I am using a velodyne vlp-16 lidar and trying to use matlab to read the point cloud. I have the data saved in a csv file. Any recommendations would help.

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

https://www.mathworks.com/help/vision/ref/pointcloud.html

xyz = readmatrix(filename);
pc = pointCloud(xyz) ;

[Jackob Black]

There are 8 columns of data in the csv file. They are; intensity, laser_id, azimuth, distance_m, adjustedtime, timestamp, vertical_angle, Points_m_XYZ_0, Points_m_XYZ_1, Points_m_XYZ_2, vtkOriginalIndices, and x__vtkIsSelected__. The xyz thing did not work.

[Jackob Black]

I also tried taking the three columns labeled points and making them their own excel file and using the code you posed and it didn't work. It said unable to resolve name filename

[Walter Roberson]

filename = 'PutTheNameOfTheCSVFileHereInsideTheseQuotes.csv';
varnames = {'intensity', 'laser_id', 'azimuth', 'distance_m', 'adjustedtime', 'timestamp', 'vertical_angle', 'Points_m_XYZ_0', 'Points_m_XYZ_1', 'Points_m_XYZ_2', 'vtkOriginalIndices', 'x__vtkIsSelected__'};

T = readtable(filename, 'VariableNames', varnames);
x = T.Points_m_XYZ_0;
y = T.Points_m_XYZ_1;
z = T.Points_m_XYZ_2;
intens = T.intensity;

xyz = [x, y, z];
pc = pointCloud(xyz, 'Intensity', intens);

[Jackob Black]

im sorry my my matlab does not have the pc = pointcloud() function. I am a student.

[Walter Roberson]

pointCloud is part of the Computer Vision Toolbox, R2015b or later.

In my code above, after the assignment to intens, the data has been "uploaded" into MATLAB, and you could do whatever you want with the x y z intens variables... you just wouldn't be able to use functions such as pcshow().

[Walter Roberson]

Note that if you had a PCAP file instead of a csv file then you could use https://www.mathworks.com/help/vision/ref/velodynefilereader.html

Also there is support for reading directly from those lidar systems https://www.mathworks.com/help/supportpkg/velodynelidar/lidar-sensors-data-acquisition.html

The Lidar Toolbox requires the Computer Vision Toolbox. The PCAP file reader itself is part of the Computer Vision Toolbox

[Jackob Black]

i cant use the velodyne functions either but i used the scatter 3 and it ended up working thankyou for your help