An object detection system that determines a dynamic-status of an object proximate to an automated-vehicle , said system comprising: a lidar-unit used to detect cloud-points in a field-of-view of the lidar-unit proximate to the automated-vehicle ; and a controller in communication with the lidar-unit , said controller configured to define an occupancy-grid that segregates the field-of-view into an array of columns such that every cell of the occupancy-grid has a corresponding column , determine a first-occupancy-status of a column based on a first-height of first-cloud-points detected in the column by a first-scan taken by the lidar-unit at a first-time , wherein the first-occupancy-status is determined to be occupied when the first-height is greater than a height-threshold , determine a second-occupancy-status of the column based on a second-height of second-cloud-points detected in the column by a second-scan taken by the lidar-unit at a second-time subsequent to the first-time , wherein the second-occupancy-status is determined to be occupied when the second-height is greater than the height-threshold , determine a first-number of the first-cloud-points detected in the column by the first-scan , determine a second-number of the second-cloud-points detected in the column by the second-scan , determine a dynamic-status of the column only if the column is classified as occupied by either the first-occupancy-status or the second-occupancy-status , wherein the dynamic-status of the column is determined to be moving when a count-difference between the first-number and the second-number is greater than a difference-threshold , and the dynamic-status of the column is determined to be static when the count-difference is not greater than the difference-threshold and a registration-factor that aligns the first-cloud-points to the second-cloud-points is less than a registration-threshold . a lidar-unit used to detect cloud-points in a field-of-view of the lidar-unit proximate to the automated-vehicle ; and a controller in communication with the lidar-unit , said controller configured to define an occupancy-grid that segregates the field-of-view into an array of columns such that every cell of the occupancy-grid has a corresponding column , determine a first-occupancy-status of a column based on a first-height of first-cloud-points detected in the column by a first-scan taken by the lidar-unit at a first-time , wherein the first-occupancy-status is determined to be occupied when the first-height is greater than a height-threshold , determine a second-occupancy-status of the column based on a second-height of second-cloud-points detected in the column by a second-scan taken by the lidar-unit at a second-time subsequent to the first-time , wherein the second-occupancy-status is determined to be occupied when the second-height is greater than the height-threshold , determine a first-number of the first-cloud-points detected in the column by the first-scan , determine a second-number of the second-cloud-points detected in the column by the second-scan , determine a dynamic-status of the column only if the column is classified as occupied by either the first-occupancy-status or the second-occupancy-status , wherein the dynamic-status of the column is determined to be moving when a count-difference between the first-number and the second-number is greater than a difference-threshold , and the dynamic-status of the column is determined to be static when the count-difference is not greater than the difference-threshold and a registration-factor that aligns the first-cloud-points to the second-cloud-points is less than a registration-threshold . <EOS>