Point cloud clustering and outlier detection based on spatial neighbor connected region labeling

• Published in: Measurement and control (London) 2021-05, Vol.54 (5-6), p.835-844
• Main Authors: Yuan, Xiaocui, Chen, Huawei, Liu, Baoling
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algorithms; Cluster analysis; Clustering; Computational efficiency; Computing time; Criteria; Data analysis; Data processing; Density; Image segmentation; Labeling; Outliers (statistics)
• ISSN: 0020-2940; 2051-8730
• DOI: 10.1177/0020294020919869

Clustering analysis is one of the most important techniques in point cloud processing, such as registration, segmentation, and outlier detection. However, most of the existing clustering algorithms exhibit a low computational efficiency with the high demand for computational resources, especially for large data processing. Sometimes, clusters and outliers are inseparable, especially for those point clouds with outliers. Most of the cluster-based algorithms can well identify cluster outliers but sparse outliers. We develop a novel clustering method, called spatial neighborhood connected region labeling. The method defines spatial connectivity criterion, finds points connections based on the connectivity criterion among the k-nearest neighborhood region and classifies connected points to the same cluster. Our method can accurately and quickly classify datasets using only one parameter k. Comparing with K-means, hierarchical clustering and density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise methods, our method provides better accuracy using less computational time for data clustering. For applications in the outlier detection of the point cloud, our method can identify not only cluster outliers, but also sparse outliers. More accurate detection results are achieved compared to the state-of-art outlier detection methods, such as local outlier factor and density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise.