Sensor and Environment Physics in the Virtual Autonomous Navigation Environment (VANE)

This report documents the physics models that are implemented in the Virtual Autonomous Navigation Environment (VANE), a sensor simulator that uses physics-based ray tracing to simulate common robotic sensors such as cameras, LiDAR, GPS, and automotive RADAR. The report will provide information about the underlying assumptions and implementation details regarding the physics models used in VANE simulations. These include surface reflectance and texture models, atmospheric models, weather effects, and sensor properties. The purpose of this report is to provide information for VANE users, developers, and analysts who would like to use the VANE for sensor simulations.