Range image noise suppression in laser imaging system

Laser radar is able to produce both intensity images and range images. These two images provide the full 3-D information of the target. The quality of the range image is negatively impacted by noise arising from dropouts and range anomalies. This paper proposes an algorithm for range image background suppression, utilizing the intensity image, a mathematical morphology (MM) filter and a mean filter. An order-mean-filter algorithm is applied to suppress the range anomaly. A comparison of the filter effects between various templates and templates in weighted mode was made, resulting in the selection of the order-mean-filter algorithm of the best multiple template. It was applied to the range image formed by the target in the actual radar.