Advice on LiDAR and depth camera setup for outdoor autonomous robot

Let's Make Robots Beginners
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Hi all,

I’m designing and building an outdoor autonomous robot for a school project. The main purpose of the robot is to clean a parking lot (about 30 × 70 meters) with wind and heavy rain conditions to consider. To do this, it needs to reliably detect and understand its environment — including parked cars and curbs.

Setup & context:

  • Robot type: seated brushing machine (goal: make it autonomous)
  • Dimensions: about 1.5 meters high
  • Platform: ROS2 Humble, Gazebo, Rviz2, etc.
  • Hardware: Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit
  • Budget: €500–€800, covered by the university (expandable with good justification)
  • Learning resources: following the Articulated Robotics YouTube series (but in ROS2 Humble instead of Foxy)

Sensor dilemma:

  • A single 2D LiDAR is not sufficient, since it would miss curbs and possibly lower cars due to the robot’s height.
  • Options I’m considering:
    • One 3D LiDAR
    • Or multiple depth “LiDAR” cameras around the robot, combined with a 2D LiDAR for global localization and mapping

What I’m looking for:

  • Sensor recommendations that work well in outdoor environments (rain/wind)
  • Suggestions for setups (single 3D LiDAR vs. multiple depth cameras + 2D LiDAR)
  • Must-have: ROS2 support

I’d really appreciate your ideas and sensor suggestions so I can make the right choice before integration.

Thanks in advance!

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Hi @MustardBread and welcome to our forum!

The most robust and cost-effective approach for your constraints is likely multiple outdoor-rated 2D LiDARs, possibly supplemented by a small number of low-cost depth/single-point sensors, rather than a single 3D LiDAR.

Some multiple 2D LIDARs recommendation would be (mounted high):

LIDARs that can be mounted low:

Dedicated LiDARs are generally more robust in sun and rain than consumer-grade depth cameras, especially if you select IP-rated models. The tilted low LiDAR is highly effective for curb detection.

2D LiDARs are very well-supported in ROS2 for mapping (SLAM) and navigation (AMCL).
Potentially fits your budget with one mid-range and one entry-level unit.

Feel free to ask anything else.

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Hi Igor_X,

Thank you very much for your insight and guidance!
Thanks to your advice, we were able to find a suitable LiDAR, and we’re currently using it successfully.

Best regards

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Hi @MustardBread ,

I am glad to hear that you find a suitable LIDAR?

May I know which model did you choose?

Thank you.

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Hi @igor_X

This is the model we chose. It’s very easy to use with ROS2.

Thank you!

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Great! Thank you.

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