LiDAR - Explanation of statistical error

TiM specification:

The stated value of < 20 mm (statistical error) refers to one standard deviation (1σ), as illustrated by the dark blue area in the accompanying diagram. This corresponds to a confidence level of 68.2% (34.1% on each side of the mean), indicating the proportion of all possible measurements expected to fall within this range (+-20mm).

According to the definition of standard deviation, a certain percentage of measurements may still fall outside the ±20 mm range (max.31,73%).

To evaluate distance measurement data, the following rule of thumb can be applied:

± (Systematic Error + 3 × Statistical Error)

For example:

± (60 mm + 3 × 20 mm) = ± 120 mm

The multiplier 3 is used because the specified statistical error of 20 mm corresponds to one standard deviation (1σ), which aligns with the typical shape of a normal distribution (bell curve).