Patchwork++

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(May 19, 2026) pip installation is now live:

Patchwork++, an extension of Patchwork, is a fast, robust, and self-adaptive ground segmentation algorithm on 3D point cloud.

📂 What's in this repo

• C++ source code of Patchwork++ (patchworkpp)
• Python binding of Patchwork++ using pybind11 (python_wrapper)
• Examples codes of C++, Python, and ROS2 👍
• Full suppor of a reproducible SemanticKITTI evaluation harness for both Patchwork and Patchwork++ (python/examples/evaluate_semantickitti.py). In the papers of Patchwork and Patchwork++, we use different evaluation protocols — see USAGE.md §1 for why and §4 for per-sequence numbers.

If you are familiar with ROS1, you can also visit here and try executing ROS1-based Patchwork++!

📦 Prerequisite packages

What we need are just minimal dependencies.

Ubuntu / Debian:

sudo apt-get install g++ build-essential libeigen3-dev python3-pip python3-dev cmake -y

macOS (Apple Silicon or Intel):

brew install cmake

Eigen is fetched automatically by CMake, so no extra system package is required on macOS. The build works with the bundled AppleClang toolchain.

⚙️ How to build & Run

Python

The released library is on PyPI:

pip install pypatchworkpp                # core library
pip install 'pypatchworkpp[demo]'        # + Open3D for the visual demos

Then import pypatchworkpp in your script — see the Python examples.

Build from source (contributors / unreleased main)

make pyinstall                # equivalent to `pip install ./python/`
make pyinstall_with_demo      # also installs Open3D >= 0.17.0

C++

Pure installation

make cppinstall

Installation with demo

Only Open3D (> 0.17.0) is additionally installed for visualization purposes.

make cppinstall_with_demo

How to run the C++ demos is explained here.

ROS2

You should not need any extra dependency, just clone and build:

mkdir -p ~/ros2_ws/src
cd ~/ros2_ws/src
git clone https://github.com/url-kaist/patchwork-plusplus.git
cd ~/ros2_ws
colcon build --packages-select patchworkpp
source ./install/setup.bash

How to launch ROS2 nodes is explained here.

🧭 Choosing an algorithm

This repository ships two ground segmentation algorithms with the same input/output API. Pick the one that fits your data:

• Patchwork++ (default): adaptive elevation/flatness thresholds, RNR (intensity-based reflected noise removal), RVPF (vertical structure suppression), and TGR (probability-based ground revert). Best when the LiDAR has reflection artefacts or you want self-tuning thresholds.
• Patchwork (classic, since 1.1.0): fixed elevation/flatness thresholds with explicit z < -sensor_height - 2.0m cutoff and few-points reject, plus optional ATAT for unknown sensor heights. Often more aggressive on ground-plane noise in heavily cluttered scenes.

Python:

import pypatchworkpp as p

pp_default = p.patchworkpp(p.Parameters())          # Patchwork++
pp_classic = p.patchwork(p.PatchworkParams())       # Patchwork (classic)

ROS2: Patchwork++ is the default; pass algorithm:=patchwork to switch to the classic Patchwork.

# Default — runs Patchwork++
ros2 launch patchworkpp patchworkpp.launch.py

# Override to the classic Patchwork
ros2 launch patchworkpp patchworkpp.launch.py algorithm:=patchwork

📝 Citation

If you use our codes, please cite our paper (arXiv, IEEE Xplore)

@inproceedings{lee2022patchworkpp,
    title={{Patchwork++: Fast and robust ground segmentation solving partial under-segmentation using 3D point cloud}},
    author={Lee, Seungjae and Lim, Hyungtae and Myung, Hyun},
    booktitle={Proc. IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. Intell. Robots Syst.},
    year={2022},
    pages={13276-13283}
}

In addition, you can also check the paper of our baseline, Patchwork. (arXiv, IEEE Xplore)

@article{lim2021patchwork,
    title={Patchwork: Concentric Zone-based Region-wise Ground Segmentation with Ground Likelihood Estimation Using a 3D LiDAR Sensor},
    author={Lim, Hyungtae and Minho, Oh and Myung, Hyun},
    journal={IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters},
    year={2021}
}

🚩 Tested Environment

• Ubuntu 18.04 and 20.04, 22.04, and 24.04
• macOS 14+ (Apple Silicon)
• CMake 3.25.1 (>=3.20, min. Required to install Open3D)
  • In scripts/install_open3d.bash, the installation of the higher version of CMake is already implemented.
• Open3D 0.15.2 0.18.0
• pybind11 v2.2.3
• Eigen 3.3.7

📫 Contact Information

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us

• Seungjae Lee ✉️ sj98lee at kaist ac kr
• Hyungtae Lim ✉️ shapelim at kaist ac kr

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Todo List

• Support intensity for RNR in master branch
• Support Patchwork mode for users who use this repository for baseline comparison purposes
• Integrate TBB and optimize the performance