Lidar sensor denoising for adverse conditions and/or nonsalient objects

Abstract

Particulate matter, such as fog, snow, rain, steam, vehicle exhaust, debris (plastic bags), etc. may cause one or more sensor types to generate false positive solid surface detections. In particular, various depth measurements may be impeded by particulate matter. Identifying false positive return(s) may comprise clustering lidar points, determining differences in range indicated by two different lidar devices having lidar points in the cluster, determining first differences that are more negative than a negative difference threshold and second differences that are more positive than a positive difference threshold, determining a first portion of lidar data in the cluster associated with the first differences and the second differences is associated with particulate matter or debris, and controlling a vehicle based at least in part on suppressing the first portion of the lidar data or indicating that the first portion of the lidar data is associated with particulate matter or debris.