  LiDARs plays an important role in self-driving cars and its configuration
such as the location placement for each LiDAR can influence object detection
performance. This paper aims to investigate an optimal configuration that
maximizes the utility of on-hand LiDARs. First, a perception model of LiDAR is
built based on its physical attributes. Then a generalized optimization model
is developed to find the optimal configuration, including the pitch angle, roll
angle, and position of LiDARs. In order to fix the optimization issue with
off-the-shelf solvers, we proposed a lattice-based approach by segmenting the
LiDAR's range of interest into finite subspaces, thus turning the optimal
configuration into a nonlinear optimization problem. A cylinder-based method is
also proposed to approximate the objective function, thereby making the
nonlinear optimization problem solvable. A series of simulations are conducted
to validate our proposed method. This proposed approach to optimal LiDAR
configuration can provide a guideline to researchers to maximize the utility of
LiDARs.
