High-Definition 3D Point Cloud Mapping of the City of Subiaco in Western Australia

GPS-based mapping and positioning methods struggle in urban environments due to complex road networks, high rise buildings and frequent construction. This necessitates ground based mapping solutions for city planning, smart transportation and autonomous driving [1]. In an earlier study [2], a 3D high definition (HD) point cloud map (PCM) of the Perth Central Business District in Western Australia was successfully created. Extending that map to Subiaco, which is a key transportation hub close to Perth, is essential for broader autonomous driving and city planning. This paper contributes towards the collection of point cloud data using a LiDAR sensor and the expansion of the existing map to include the city of Subiaco. We implemented a comprehensive process involving point cloud data collection using a vehicle mounted LiDAR scanner, data preprocessing, registration, and annotation, resulting in a detailed 3D HD PCM. Additionally, we used a localization method that matches the real-time LiDAR scans to the offline constructed HD map. Localization experiments on the proposed Subiaco dataset validated the effectiveness of our map in real-world scenarios, revealing average localization accuracy results comparable to the earlier work. This study contributes the creation of the first high-definition 3D point cloud map of Subiaco. The data and code will be made public to facilitate further research in this direction.