How do interface a LIDAR device with MATLAB?

I have a Hokuyo USB LADAR/LIDAR. I have problem with interfacing or connecting it to MATLAB/Simulink, such that I can do all the processing in those software packages.

I have a开发者_运维问答lready asked Hokuyo. They only provide C++ program interface (sample programming guide and libraries). How do I interface this to MATLAB/Simulink?

Have a look at mex files. You can embed c++ code in matlab as well as simulink.

The web page you pointed to has a C API in urg_ctrl.h. I assume this comes with a DLL that implements the API? If so, you can use Matlab's interface for calling external libraries. The basic procedure is to have Matlab parse the header file using LOADLIBRARY, then view the available functions using LIBFUNCTIONS and call functions using CALLLIB.

I imagine, though I've never done it, that you can write .m functions to access the device that you can then wrap in Simulink blocks.