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Feature extraction is commonly used in SLAM applications. It is useful because it reduces the amount of data that has to be processed by the mapping functions. Some applications extract lines and curves from the scan data and sends it to a global map, then during later scans, if the same feature is recognized, the amount of movement of the robot can be calculated. Feature extraction is usually only used on robots that are going to be operating in structured environments (indoors, office spaces, homes ...
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://community.robotshop.com/index.php/robots/show/line-extraction-with-ir-sensor-servo-scanner