https://github.com/pacifio/sinclair
Synthetic LiDAR simulation platform for autonomous vehicle research.
https://github.com/pacifio/sinclair
doppler lidar
Last synced: 2 months ago
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Synthetic LiDAR simulation platform for autonomous vehicle research.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/pacifio/sinclair
- Owner: pacifio
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-03-25T05:28:03.000Z (3 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-03-25T05:28:27.000Z (3 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-03-30T06:29:11.399Z (3 months ago)
- Topics: doppler, lidar
- Language: Rust
- Homepage:
- Size: 2.85 MB
- Stars: 2
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
# Sinclair
**Synthetic LiDAR simulation platform for autonomous vehicle research.**
Sinclair generates physically-accurate synthetic LiDAR point cloud data from real-world geospatial sources. Unlike platforms that require handcrafted 3D maps, Sinclair procedurally builds scenes from OpenStreetMap data — enabling LiDAR simulation for any location on Earth.
## Features
### Sensors
- **Velodyne VLP-16** — 16-channel, 360° spinning, 28,800 points/frame
- **Velodyne HDL-64E** — 64-channel, 360° spinning, 288,000 points/frame
- **Luminar Iris** — solid-state, 120°×26° FOV, 1.2M+ points/frame, RoI scanning
### Simulation
- **Real-time raycasting** against BVH-accelerated scene geometry
- **Doppler velocity** — radial velocity computation for moving and static objects
- **Real-time classification** — ASPRS LAS standard (building, road, vehicle, vegetation, etc.)
- **NPC traffic** — vehicles spawned on roads from OSM density data, detectable by LiDAR
- **Vehicle dynamics** — bicycle model with manual (WASD) and autoplay (road-following) modes
- **Point cloud accumulation** — SLAM-like progressive scene mapping
- **Atmospheric effects** — Beer-Lambert attenuation, precipitation ghost points
### Scene Construction
- **OpenStreetMap** buildings, roads, land use via Overpass API
- **Building extrusion** with varied heights (OSM tags + area-based estimation)
- **Road mesh generation** with sidewalks and curbs
- **SRTM elevation data** for terrain
- **Sentinel-2 surface classification** for material mapping
- **Real-time weather** from Open-Meteo API
### Visualization
- **2.5D isometric viewport** with pan, zoom, rotate (Shift+drag), tilt
- **Three color modes** (press `C`): Distance, Doppler Velocity, Classification
- **Doppler overlay** (press `X`): surface-conforming velocity visualization
- **Heatmap mode** (press `H`): accumulated scan density with Gaussian smoothing
- **Landmark map** (press `L`): top-down OSM map with road names and POIs
- **Compass ruler** with heading indicator
- **Color legend** adapting to active visualization mode
### Export
- **KITTI** format (.bin + .label + poses.txt)
- **PCD** (Point Cloud Data) format
- **LAS** 1.4 with classification
- **Session metadata** (JSON)
## Quick Start
```bash
# Clone
git clone https://github.com/pacifio/sinclair.git
cd sinclair
# Run
cargo run -p sinclair-gui
# Or use the dev script (checks + tests + run)
./run_dev.sh
```
## Controls
| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| `W` / `S` | Accelerate / Brake |
| `A` / `D` | Steer left / right |
| Drag | Pan the camera |
| Scroll / Pinch | Zoom in/out |
| Shift + Drag | Rotate (horizontal) / Tilt (vertical) |
| `C` | Cycle color mode: Distance → Velocity → Classification |
| `X` | Toggle Doppler velocity overlay |
| `H` | Toggle heatmap view |
| `L` | Toggle landmark map view |
## Architecture
```
sinclair/
├── crates/
│ ├── sinclair-core # Shared types, math, coordinates
│ ├── sinclair-geo # OSM, SRTM, weather, Nominatim, tile cache
│ ├── sinclair-scene # Building extrusion, road mesh, materials
│ ├── sinclair-raycaster # BVH construction, CPU/GPU ray casting
│ ├── sinclair-sensors # LiDAR sensor models (VLP-16, HDL-64E, Iris)
│ ├── sinclair-vehicle # Bicycle model dynamics, pure pursuit controller
│ ├── sinclair-traffic # NPC vehicle spawning and density
│ ├── sinclair-atmosphere # Beer-Lambert attenuation, ghost points
│ ├── sinclair-export # KITTI, PCD, LAS, metadata writers
│ └── sinclair-gui # egui application, 2.5D renderer, panels
```
## No API Keys Required
All external APIs are free and keyless:
| API | Purpose |
|-----|---------|
| Overpass (OpenStreetMap) | Buildings, roads, land use |
| Nominatim | Location search / geocoding |
| OpenTopography (SRTM) | Elevation tiles |
| Open-Meteo | Real-time weather |
| Element84 Earth Search | Sentinel-2 satellite imagery |
Data is cached locally at `~/.sinclair/cache/`.
## Doppler Velocity
Sinclair simulates radial Doppler velocity for each LiDAR return:
```
v_radial = (v_target - v_sensor) · ray_direction
```
- **Static objects** (buildings, roads): velocity from ego motion only
- **Moving objects** (NPC vehicles): relative velocity between sensor and target
- Visualized as blue (approaching) → white (static) → red (receding)
## Classification
Each point is classified using the ASPRS LAS standard based on the surface material:
| Class | Code | Color |
|-------|------|-------|
| Building | 6 | Gray |
| Road | 11 | White |
| Sidewalk | 12 | Light gray |
| Vehicle | 13 | Blue |
| Vegetation | 5 | Green |
| Ground | 2 | Green |
| Water | 9 | Blue |
| Traffic Sign | 16 | Yellow |
## Requirements
- **Rust** 1.70+
- **macOS** (Apple Silicon primary) or **Linux**
- No GPU required (CPU raycasting), but Metal/Vulkan available for future GPU acceleration
## License
MIT — see [LICENSE](LICENSE)