SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CAMERA-LIDAR FUSED OBJECT DETECTION WITH SEGMENT MERGING

Systems and methods for object detection. Object detection may be used to control autonomous vehicle(s). For example, the methods comprise: obtaining, by a computing device, a LiDAR dataset generated by a LiDAR system of the autonomous vehicle; and using, by the computing device, the LiDAR dataset and image(s) to detect an object that is in proximity to the autonomous vehicle. The object being is detected by: computing a distribution of object detections that each point of the LiDAR dataset is likely to be in; creating a plurality of segments of LiDAR data points using the distribution of object detections; merging the plurality of segments of LiDAR data points to generate merged segments; and detecting the object in a point cloud defined by the LiDAR dataset based on the merged segments. The object detection may be used by the computing device to facilitate at least one autonomous driving operation.