A <scp>lpha</scp> Demo: A Hardware-Accelerated Data Model for Ad-Hoc Manipulation of Point Clouds

A point cloud is a collection of data points in a three-dimensional space that represents the external surface of an object or environment. This data type is typically generated by spatial sensing devices, like LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems. While these devices have revolutionized fields such as autonomous vehicles, urban traffic monitoring, and forestry management, the manipulation of point clouds still poses challenges. Applications often involve complex data manipulation and, in some cases, require very low latency. As a result, each application tends to develop its own methods for handling point clouds based on its unique requirements. The common belief is that only through specialized solutions can an application's requirements be met.