Potentially Dynamic Object Map Policy

Last updated: 2026-05-09

Why It Matters

Potentially dynamic objects are objects that may be stationary now but can move later. In road mapping this includes parked vehicles. In airside mapping it includes aircraft, tugs, carts, stairs, loaders, buses, cones, chocks, dollies, FOD equipment, and temporary barriers.

The policy goal is not simply "remove dynamic objects." It is to prevent movable objects from contaminating the permanent static map while still preserving current hazards and operational blockages for the planner and safety system.

Source Lessons

Source	Technical lesson	Policy lesson
No More Potentially Dynamic Objects	Use 3D object detection, ground segmentation, and projection to build static point-cloud maps without parked vehicles	Object classes that can move should not become static anchors
YOLO-based potential dynamic removal	Camera detection plus LiDAR/NDT mapping can improve localization in traffic-heavy scenes	Multi-modal semantic filtering can outperform raw LiDAR segmentation alone
Dynamic map cleaning benchmark	Cleaning must preserve static infrastructure and FOD/hazard awareness	Map cleaning is a safety-validation problem
FAA FOD guidance	FOD is safety-critical when in an inappropriate location	Do not erase small hazards as "noise"
AIT Apron Dataset	Apron object detection needs domain-specific classes and environmental slices	Road vehicle classes are insufficient for airport policy

Policy Matrix

Class	Potentially dynamic?	Permanent static map	Live map / planner	Notes
Building, terminal edge, fixed pole	No	Keep/promote after QA	Hard obstacle	Primary localization candidates
Painted stand/service-road marking	No, but can be repainted	Keep/update after review	Route and alignment cue	Needs visibility/weather checks
Parked aircraft	Yes	Exclude	Occupancy obstacle and stand state	Never use as permanent localization anchor
GSE vehicle or cart	Yes	Exclude	Obstacle or route blockage	May be movable-static if parked
Cone/barrier line	Yes, unless work-zone approved	Exclude or temporary restriction	Block/slow/re-route	Promote only with ops confirmation
FOD/debris/tool	Yes/hazard	Exclude	Alert, stop, or avoid	Must not be cleaned away silently
Pedestrian/worker	Yes	Exclude	Dynamic actor	Person safety dominates map update
Snow/rain spray/reflection	Artifact/condition	Exclude	Condition-dependent caution	Keep evidence for QA if persistent

Processing Pipeline

Step	Action	Failure to avoid
Semantic detection	Detect known movable classes in camera/LiDAR	Treating parked objects as walls
Ground reasoning	Segment ground and project/remove object points where appropriate	Creating holes in navigable ground
Static preservation	Preserve fixed infrastructure behind/around removed objects	Removing terminal edges or poles with object masks
Hazard branch	Route FOD-like small objects to live alert workflow	Erasing safety hazards as map noise
Persistence tracking	Count sightings by tile, object class, and pose quality	Promoting one-pass observations
QA gate	Review candidate static changes before publication	Automatic deletion under occlusion
Regression	Run localization and route tests on updated tile	Cleaner improves appearance but harms localization

Airside Class Policy

Object family	Default layer	Static promotion condition
Aircraft	Movable-static/current occupancy	Never, unless modeling a fixed static mockup or permanently installed exhibit outside ODD
Tugs, belt loaders, buses, carts	Movable-static/current occupancy	Never by default
Passenger stairs, dollies, ULD racks	Movable-static	Only if airport defines fixed storage infrastructure, not individual movable assets
Cones, temporary signs, portable barriers	Temporary restriction or movable-static	Work order/ops approval plus schedule
Chocks, tools, debris	FOD/hazard	Never; create inspection/removal event
Fixed signs, lights, poles	Permanent static	Multi-session observation and map QA
Pavement markings	Permanent static/regulatory	Multi-view evidence and approval when safety-critical

Acceptance Metrics

Metric	Target behavior
Movable-object rejection	High removal from permanent map
Static-feature preservation	No loss of fixed features behind movable objects
Ground continuity	Removed object footprints do not create false obstacles or holes
Hazard retention	FOD-like items appear as alerts, not map features and not discarded noise
Localization delta	Map cleaning improves or preserves scan-to-map localization
False-free-space rate	No claimed free space where a hazard or blocked route exists
Reviewer burden	Candidate static updates remain actionable per shift/stand

Implementation Guidance

1. Maintain two outputs from dynamic removal: a cleaned static candidate and a rejected-object evidence layer.
2. Use semantic class policy before geometry policy. A parked aircraft should be excluded even if it is observed consistently for many hours.
3. For 3D object detection methods, retain ground projection carefully so the map remains traversable but not falsely clear of live obstacles.
4. For camera-guided YOLO removal, log lighting/weather confidence because apron perception degrades at night, in glare, rain, fog, and de-icing conditions.
5. Never use a potentially dynamic removal model as the sole source of FOD clearance.
6. Tie all permanent-map promotions to source evidence, persistence, reviewer approval, and localization regression.

Sources

• No More Potentially Dynamic Objects arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.01073
• Enhancing LiDAR Mapping with YOLO-Based Potential Dynamic Object Removal: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/23/7578
• FAA Foreign Object Debris Program: https://www.faa.gov/airports/airport_safety/fod
• FAA AC 150/5210-24A document page: https://www.faa.gov/airports/resources/advisory_circulars/index.cfm/go/document.current/documentNumber/150_5210-24
• AIT Apron Dataset: https://publications.ait.ac.at/de/datasets/apron-dataset/
• Local context: Movable-Static Layering for Airside Maps
• Local context: Airside Dynamic Map Cleaning Benchmark