Single-Photon LiDAR Depth Estimation Based on Time Series Correlation

With advancements in science and technology, photon-counting LiDAR applications are growing due to long-range measurement, high-definition imaging, and accuracy. Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes (Gm-APD) provide single-photon sensitivity and picosecond resolution, but noise in depth estimation affects imaging accuracy. This study introduces a novel depth estimation method using time series correlation to mitigate these noise issues, improving accuracy in LiDAR imaging. Utilizing a photon-counting LiDAR system and time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC), this study capture target echo photon flight times to maintain depth information. The proposed denoising approach incorporates multiple time series windows and Bayesian estimation to enhance depth accuracy, alongside a pruning algorithm to optimize computational efficiency. Evaluation metrics show significant improvements: RSNR improved by 4% and MAE decreased by 43 % compared to traditional methods. The findings demonstrate the robustness of this method across various scenarios, enhancing depth estimation and noise mitigation in photon-counting LiDAR technology, thereby providing practical improvements for a range of applications.