A radar system

Abstract

A radar system, the radar system comprises a first guide rail (201), a radar (202), a first moving device (203) and a moving controller, the radar (202) is fixed on the first moving device (203), the moving controller is used for controlling the first moving device (203) to move on the first guide rail (201), and the first guide rail (201) is fixedly arranged on a mobile device (204). In the radar system, the movement of the radar (202) to different positions of the mobile device (204) is realized by controlling the movement of the first moving device (203) on the first guide rail (201) through the moving controller, the use of one radar (202) to obtain different range of external information is realized, the cost is reduced, further, since the radar (202) is installed on the first guide rail (201), instead of being directly installed on the mobile device (204), the coupling between the radar (202) and different mobile devices (204) is reduced, and the standardization of the installation of the radar (202) on the mobile device (204) is facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of intelligent driving technology, and more specifically, to a radar system. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of science and technology, intelligent driving technology has received increasing attention, leading to the emergence of various intelligent driving devices, such as autonomous vehicles and drones.

[0003] A crucial function of any autonomous driving device is environmental perception to prevent collisions with other objects or people. With the development of autonomous driving technology, environmental perception and precise self-positioning have become core technologies and important means to improve the safety and reliability of autonomous driving systems. Radar, as one of the most important sensors for autonomous driving devices to obtain their position and environmental information relative to their environment, is usually fixed to the device. However, when using a single radar to acquire external information, it is often obstructed by the autonomous driving device, resulting in incomplete omnidirectional environmental information. Therefore, currently, multiple radars are typically installed in different locations within the autonomous driving device to obtain comprehensive environmental information.

[0004] However, installing multiple radars at different locations on intelligent driving devices to obtain comprehensive information about the external environment leads to increased costs. Therefore, how to obtain comprehensive information about the external environment through radar while simultaneously reducing the cost of using radar has become a pressing technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a radar system that can obtain comprehensive information about the external environment while reducing the cost of using radar.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a radar system, which includes a first guide rail, a radar, a first moving device, and a moving controller; the radar is fixed on the first moving device, and the moving controller is used to control the first moving device to move on the first guide rail, and the first guide rail is fixedly mounted on the moving device.

[0007] The radar system provided in this embodiment can move the radar to different positions on the mobile device by controlling the movement of the first mobile device on the first guide rail through a motion controller. This allows a single radar to acquire external information within different ranges. Compared to existing technologies, this application eliminates the need to install radars at different positions on the mobile device; only one radar is required to acquire external information within different ranges through movement. This also reduces the number of radars needed, thereby lowering costs.

[0008] Furthermore, since the radar is mounted on the first guide rail rather than directly on the mobile device, the coupling between the radar and different mobile devices is reduced, which is conducive to the standardization of radar installation on mobile devices.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first moving device includes a rotating wheel, and the moving controller is used to control the rotation of the rotating wheel.

[0010] In this embodiment, the mobile controller can move the radar to different positions on the mobile device by controlling the rotation of the rotating wheel.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the radar system further includes a first fixing device for fixing the radar at the target location.

[0012] In this embodiment, the first fixing device fixes the radar at the target position, so that the radar does not shift relative to the mobile device as the mobile device moves. This ensures that the external parameters of the radar do not change when it is at the target position, further improving the accuracy of subsequent information fusion.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first guide rail includes a screw hole, the first fixing device includes a first motor and a screw, one end of the screw is connected to the radar, and the first motor is used to control the screw to move into the screw hole.

[0014] In this implementation, the first motor can control the screw to move into the screw hole on the first guide rail, thereby fixing the radar on the first guide rail.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the radar system further includes a second fixing device for fixing the movement trajectory of the first mobile device on the first guide rail.

[0016] In this implementation, the second fixing device ensures that the first moving device does not detach from the first guide rail during movement.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the second fixing device includes a groove on the radar surface for embedding the upper arm of the first guide rail.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the mobility controller is used to: control the direction of movement and / or the distance of movement of the first mobile device based on the driving information of the mobile device.

[0019] In this implementation, the mobile controller can determine the direction or distance of movement of the first mobile device based on the driving information of the mobile device.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the driving information includes the direction of movement of the mobile device, and the motion controller is used to control the direction of movement of the first mobile device to be the same as the direction of movement of the mobile device.

[0021] In this implementation, the motion controller can control the movement direction of the first mobile device to be consistent with the movement direction of the mobile device. For example, when the vehicle is moving forward, the environmental information in front of the mobile device can be considered relatively important, and the motion controller can control the first mobile device to move forward to obtain the external information in front. Conversely, when the vehicle is moving backward, the environmental information behind the mobile device can be considered relatively important, and the motion controller can control the first mobile device to move backward to obtain the external information behind.

[0022] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the guide rail includes a cable tray for accommodating a connection cable between the mobile controller and the first mobile device, a connection cable between the radar and the mobile device, or a connection cable between the mobile controller and the mobile device.

[0023] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the radar system further includes a microcontroller unit for controlling the radar's transmission frequency and / or field of view (FOV).

[0024] In this implementation, the microcontroller unit can control the radar's transmission frequency and / or field of view (FOV), allowing the radar to have different transmission frequencies and / or FOVs in different scenarios. For example, when the mobile device moves forward at a speed greater than a preset threshold, the external environment can be considered to be changing rapidly, and the microcontroller unit can then increase the laser's transmission frequency. As another example, the area of ​​obstruction by the mobile device differs depending on whether the radar is positioned in front of or behind it; therefore, the microcontroller unit can adjust the FOV at different locations.

[0025] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the radar system further includes a second guide rail and a second moving device, the second guide rail intersecting the first guide rail, the radar being fixed on the second moving device, a movement controller for controlling the movement of the second moving device on the second guide rail, and the second guide rail for fixing the device to the moving device.

[0026] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the radar system further includes a first lifting device and a second lifting device, wherein the first lifting device is used to control the first moving device to leave the rail surface of the second guide rail when the second moving device moves on the second guide rail, and the second lifting device is used to control the second moving device to leave the rail surface of the first guide rail when the first moving device moves on the first guide rail.

[0027] In this embodiment, the movement of the radar on the first or second guide rail can be achieved by raising or lowering the first and second lifting devices. It is understood that, compared to a radar system with only a first guide rail, a radar system including both a first and a second guide rail can further reduce the number of radars, thereby further reducing costs.

[0028] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, a first rangefinder is mounted on one end of a first guide rail, and a second rangefinder is mounted on one end of a second guide rail. The first rangefinder is used to measure the distance between the radar and the first rangefinder, and the second rangefinder is used to measure the distance between the radar and the second rangefinder.

[0029] In this implementation, the radar system can obtain the current location of the radar through a first rangefinder or a second rangefinder.

[0030] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, if the radar is a single lidar, when the radar moves to position j, and At that time, the rotation matrix of the radar at position j is The translation matrix is Where R2 represents the rotation matrix of the radar when it is in front of the first guide rail, t2 represents the translation matrix of the radar when it is in front of the first guide rail, R4 represents the rotation matrix of the radar when it is behind the first guide rail, and t4 represents the translation matrix of the radar when it is behind the first guide rail; h This indicates the distance between the radar at position j and the second rangefinder, l v This indicates the distance between the radar at position j and the first rangefinder. This indicates the distance between the radar and the second rangefinder when the radar is to the left of the second guide rail. This indicates the distance between the radar and the first rangefinder when the radar is in front of the first guide rail. θ represents the distance between the radar and the first rangefinder when the radar is behind the first guide rail. 24 Let |θ| represent the rotational angular axis vector of the radar from the front side to the rear side of the first guide rail. 24 | represents the rotation angle of the radar from the front side to the rear side of the first guide rail, and E(a,b) represents the rotation matrix with vector b as the rotation axis and a as the rotation angle.

[0031] In this embodiment, when the radar is a single lidar, the external parameter values ​​when the radar moves to position j on the first guide rail can be calculated, further improving the accuracy of subsequent information fusion.

[0032] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, if the radar is a single lidar, when the radar moves to position j, and At that time, the rotation matrix of the radar at position j is The translation matrix is Where R1 represents the rotation matrix of the radar when it is on the left side of the second guide rail, t1 represents the translation matrix of the rotation matrix when the radar is on the left side of the second guide rail, R3 represents the rotation matrix of the radar when it is on the right side of the second guide rail, and t3 represents the translation matrix of the radar when it is on the right side of the second guide rail; l v This represents the distance between the radar at position j and the first rangefinder, l h This indicates the distance between the radar at position j and the second rangefinder. This indicates the distance between the radar and the first rangefinder when the radar is in front of the first guide rail. This indicates the distance between the radar and the second rangefinder when the radar is to the left of the second guide rail. θ represents the distance between the radar and the second rangefinder when the radar is on the right side of the second guide rail. 13 |θ represents the rotational angular axis vector of the radar from the left side of the second guide rail to the right side of the second guide rail. 13 | indicates the rotation angle of the radar from the left side of the second guide rail to the right side of the second guide rail.

[0033] In this embodiment, when the radar is a single lidar, the extrinsic parameter values ​​when the radar moves to position j on the second guide rail can be calculated, further improving the accuracy of subsequent information fusion.

[0034] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the mobile device includes any of the following: an autonomous taxi, a map collection vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of an intelligent driving system provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of a radar system provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of a prior art radar installation provided for one embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 4 A structural schematic diagram of a radar system provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the radar movement direction provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of valid and invalid radar data at the rear of a vehicle, provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 7 A structural schematic diagram of a radar system provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the mechanical structure of a radar assembly device provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of a rangefinder provided in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0044] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of an intelligent driving system provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the system includes a radar 101 and a mobile device 102 (a vehicle is shown as an example in the figure). Typically, the radar 101 is placed on the mobile device 102. The mobile device 102 obtains information about the external environment and its own pose relative to the environment through the radar 101 to prevent the mobile device 102 from colliding with other objects or people.

[0045] Currently, it is usually necessary to place multiple radars 101 (five radars are shown in the figure) on a mobile device 102 to cover different ranges of view, thereby obtaining different ranges of external environmental information.

[0046] However, using multiple radars to acquire external information from different ranges can lead to increased costs.

[0047] For example, if LiDAR (light detection and ranging) is used to acquire external information, the cost will increase dramatically when multiple LiDARs are used because LiDAR is relatively expensive.

[0048] In view of this, this application provides a radar system that can reduce costs while acquiring external environmental information at different ranges; in addition, the radar system of this application can control the radar's transmission frequency and / or field of view, so that the radar has different transmission frequencies and / or FOVs in different scenarios, thereby reducing the acquisition of invalid data.

[0049] Figure 2 This is a top view of a radar system provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 2 As shown, the radar system provided in this application embodiment includes a first guide rail 201, a radar 202, a first mobile device 203, a mobile controller (not shown in the figure), and a mobile device 204.

[0050] In the radar system provided in this embodiment, the first guide rail 201 is used to fix the radar system on the mobile device 204 that deploys the radar system.

[0051] in, Figure 2The mobile device 204 shown is a vehicle, but it is merely an example and does not constitute a limitation of this application. For example, it could also be a drone, etc.

[0052] The radar 202 is fixed on the first moving device 203. The moving controller controls the first moving device 203 to move on the first guide rail 201, thereby controlling the movement of the radar on the first guide rail 201.

[0053] It is understandable that, since the radar 202 is fixed to the first moving device 203, any movement of the first moving device 203 will be accompanied by movement of the radar 202. Furthermore, the direction and displacement of the radar 202's movement are the same as those of the first moving device 203.

[0054] The radar system provided in this embodiment can control the movement of the radar on the first guide rail by controlling the movement of the first mobile device on the first guide rail through a motion controller. This allows the radar to move to different positions on the mobile device, enabling a single radar to acquire external information within different ranges. Compared to existing technologies, this application eliminates the need to install radars at different positions along the first guide rail of the mobile device. Only one radar needs to be moved to reach different positions on the first guide rail, thereby acquiring external information within different ranges. This reduces the number of radars required and thus lowers costs.

[0055] Furthermore, since the radar is mounted on the first guide rail rather than directly on the mobile device, the coupling between the radar and different mobile devices is reduced, which is conducive to the standardization of radar installation on mobile devices.

[0056] For example, taking a LiDAR as the radar and a vehicle as the mobile device 204, multiple LiDARs are typically installed on the vehicle 204 to obtain different external information. In this example, the direction of the first guide rail is referred to as the vertical direction. In the prior art, it is assumed that in the vertical direction, as... Figure 3 The external information at the three locations shown is important, therefore, three lidar units (such as...) are typically installed at these three locations. Figure 3 As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, it is only necessary to install a first guide rail in the vertical direction, and then control the laser radar to move on the first guide rail by the motion controller, so that a laser radar can reach different positions.

[0057] As an optional embodiment, in Figure 2 In the radar system shown, the first moving device includes a rotating wheel, and a moving controller is used to control the rotation of the rotating wheel.

[0058] In this embodiment, the motion controller can control the movement of the radar on the first guide rail by controlling the rotation of the rotating wheel, so that the radar can move to different positions on the mobile device.

[0059] It should be noted that this embodiment does not limit the number of the first rotating wheels. For example, two rotating wheels or four rotating wheels can be used to achieve the movable function. Furthermore, this embodiment does not limit the position of the rotating wheels. For example, two rotating wheels can be fixed on the left side of the radar, and two rotating wheels can be fixed on the right side of the radar, which can be determined according to different needs.

[0060] As an optional embodiment, the radar system may also include a first fixing device for fixing the radar at the target location.

[0061] It is understandable that mobile devices may be constantly in motion. In this case, when the radar moves from one location to another, the radar may be displaced relative to the mobile device due to the movement of the mobile device.

[0062] It's important to note that in the field of intelligent driving, to obtain more comprehensive external information data, other types of sensors are typically used besides radar sensors, such as ultrasonic sensors and millimeter-wave sensors. After acquiring the external information data from each sensor, this data can be fused to obtain a more accurate fused result. A crucial factor in information fusion is the extrinsic parameters of each sensor. If the extrinsic parameters are inaccurate, the final fusion result will also be inaccurate, thus affecting the accuracy of information fusion.

[0063] The concepts and detailed descriptions of external parameters can be found in relevant technical documents, and will not be repeated here.

[0064] It should also be noted that the extrinsic parameters of a radar differ at different locations. Therefore, if the radar moves to a certain position, and the movement of the mobile device causes a displacement of the radar relative to the mobile device, the radar's extrinsic parameters will change. This will further reduce the accuracy of subsequent information fusion.

[0065] Therefore, in this embodiment, the radar is fixed at the target position by the first fixing device, so that the radar does not move relative to the mobile device as the mobile device moves, and the external parameters of the radar do not change when it is at the target position, thereby further improving the accuracy of subsequent information fusion.

[0066] In this application, the specific form of the fixing device is not limited. For example, it can be fixed by driving screws into screw holes, or it can be fixed by using an electromagnetic block.

[0067] For example, Figure 4 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a radar system provided in another embodiment of this application. Figure 4 As shown, the first guide rail also includes a screw hole 205. The first fixing device includes a first motor (not shown in the figure) and a screw 206. One end of the screw 206 is connected to the radar 202. The first motor is used to control the screw 206 to move into the screw hole 205.

[0068] It should be noted that the above embodiments are merely illustrative of how to fix the radar using a single screw and screw hole. The radar can also be fixed to the target position using multiple screws and multiple screw holes. This application does not limit this method.

[0069] In this radar system, the first motor can control the screw to move into the screw hole on the first guide rail, thereby fixing the radar on the first guide rail. This ensures that the external parameters do not change when the radar reaches the target position, further reducing the accuracy of subsequent information fusion.

[0070] As an optional embodiment, the radar system may further include a second fixing device for fixing the movement trajectory of the first mobile device on the first guide rail.

[0071] It is understandable that when the radar system controls the first mobile device through the mobile controller to move the radar to different positions on the mobile device, the first mobile device may detach from the first guide rail. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to increase the robustness of the radar system, a second fixing device is added so that the movement trajectory of the first mobile device does not detach from the first guide rail.

[0072] In one possible implementation, the second fixing device includes a groove on the radar surface for embedding the upper arm of the first guide rail.

[0073] In this implementation, the radar's movement trajectory can be fixed on the first guide rail by embedding the groove on the radar surface into the upper arm of the first guide rail. Furthermore, since the radar is fixed on the first moving device, the movement trajectory of the first moving device is also fixed on the first guide rail, thereby preventing the movement trajectory of the first moving device from deviating from the first guide rail.

[0074] As an optional embodiment, the mobility controller can also be used to: control the direction of movement and / or the distance of movement of the first mobile device based on the driving information of the mobile device.

[0075] The driving information may include, for example, the direction of movement of the mobile device, the speed of movement of the mobile device, etc., but this embodiment does not limit this.

[0076] In this embodiment, the mobility controller can also determine the direction or distance of movement of the first mobile device based on the driving information of the mobile device.

[0077] In one possible implementation, for example, the driving information includes the direction of movement of the mobile device, and the motion controller can be used to control the direction of movement of the first mobile device to be the same as the direction of movement of the mobile device.

[0078] In this implementation, the motion controller can control the movement direction of the first mobile device to be consistent with the movement direction of the mobile device. For example, when the vehicle is moving forward, the environmental information in front of the mobile device can be considered relatively important, and at this time the motion controller can control the first mobile device to move forward (e.g., ...). Figure 5 (a) shows that the first moving device can obtain external information in front of it; when the vehicle reverses, the environmental information behind the moving device can be considered relatively important, and at this time the moving controller can control the first moving device to move backward (as shown in (a)). Figure 5 (b) shows), thereby obtaining external information from the rear; when the vehicle turns left, the environmental information to the left of the mobile device can be considered relatively important, at which time the mobile controller can control the first mobile device to move to the left (e.g. Figure 5 (c) shows), thereby obtaining external information to the left; when the vehicle turns right, the environmental information to the right of the mobile device can be considered relatively important, at which time the mobile controller can control the first mobile device to move to the right (e.g. Figure 5 (d) shows that, in order to obtain external information on the right side.

[0079] Optionally, the guide rail includes a cable tray for accommodating the connection cable between the mobile controller and the first mobile device, the connection cable between the radar and the mobile device, or the connection cable between the mobile controller and the mobile device.

[0080] As an optional embodiment, the radar system of this application may further include a microcontroller unit for controlling the radar’s transmission frequency and / or field of view (FOV).

[0081] It should be understood that mobile devices travel at varying speeds (e.g., in congested environments). At high speeds, mobile devices need to acquire real-time information about changes in their external environment (they can be considered highly sensitive to these changes) to make timely decisions. Therefore, if the mobile device uses radar to acquire information about its surroundings, the radar should have a high transmission frequency to update the point cloud data describing the environment more quickly. At low speeds, however, mobile devices may not be as sensitive to changes in their environment. For example, in congested traffic, the mobile device may remain in one position, and its surroundings may not change. In this case, a high transmission frequency is not necessary. For instance, if a lidar system updates every 100 milliseconds (ms) at high speeds, it could update every second at low speeds.

[0082] For radar, a field of view is used when acquiring information about the external environment. Due to the obstruction of the mobile device itself, some of the point cloud data obtained by the radar when using this field of view to acquire information about the external environment is of the mobile device itself. This point cloud data about the mobile device itself is not needed by the mobile device. Therefore, in this embodiment, the obstructed area is also referred to as the invalid area.

[0083] It is understandable that the area of ​​radar obstruction by the mobile device changes depending on its location on the device; that is, the ineffective area changes. Therefore, the field of view of the radar should also change depending on its location. In this embodiment, a microcontroller controls the radar to have different field of view angles at different locations.

[0084] For example, when radar is positioned at the front and rear of a mobile device, the area of ​​obstruction by the device differs, allowing the microcontroller unit to adjust the field of view (FOV) at different locations. Figure 6 As shown, when the radar is located at the rear of the mobile device, there is a large amount of invalid data in the area with negative pitch angles in front. This data is not forwarded, thereby reducing the invalid consumption of the central processing unit.

[0085] As an optional embodiment, the radar system may further include a second guide rail and a second moving device, the second guide rail intersecting with the first guide rail, the radar being fixed on the second moving device, and a movement controller for controlling the movement of the second moving device on the second guide rail, the second guide rail being fixed on the moving device.

[0086] The second guide rail may be, for example, a guide rail perpendicular to the first guide rail, or a guide rail whose angle with the first guide rail is equal to a certain set value. This application does not limit this.

[0087] It should be noted that the specific implementation of the second guide rail, the second moving device, and the moving controller for controlling the movement of the second moving device on the second guide rail can be compared with the implementation of the first guide rail, the first moving device, and the moving controller for controlling the movement of the first moving device on the first guide rail, and will not be elaborated here.

[0088] When the radar system includes a first guide rail and a second guide rail, the radar system may also include a first lifting device and a second lifting device. The first lifting device is used to control the first moving device to leave the rail surface of the second guide rail when the second moving device moves on the second guide rail. The second lifting device is used to control the second moving device to leave the rail surface of the first guide rail when the first moving device moves on the first guide rail.

[0089] For example, Figure 7 This is a structural schematic diagram of a radar system provided according to another embodiment of this application. In this embodiment, the radar system includes a first guide rail 1, a second guide rail 2, and a radar assembly device 3. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first guide rail 1 and the second guide rail 2 have screw holes for fixing the radar assembly device 3.

[0090] In this embodiment, the direction of the first guide rail 1 is referred to as the vertical direction, and the direction of the second guide rail 2 is referred to as the horizontal direction. The movement of the radar on the first guide rail 1 is referred to as forward and backward movement, and the movement of the radar on the second guide rail 2 is referred to as left and right movement.

[0091] in, Figure 8 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of the mechanical structure of radar assembly device 3. Figure 8 (a) shows a front view of the radar assembly. Figure 8 (b) shows a side view of the radar assembly. Figure 8 (c) shows a top view of the radar assembly.

[0092] The radar assembly device 3 in this embodiment includes a radar 3-1, screws 3-2, a first moving device 3-3 for moving on the first guide rail 1 (in this embodiment, the first moving device includes four steering wheels, with two steering wheels placed as a group on the left and right sides of the radar), and a second moving device 3-4 for moving on the second guide rail 2 (in this embodiment, the second moving device includes four steering wheels, with two steering wheels placed as a group on the front and rear sides of the radar). Each steering wheel includes a lifting device 3-5, which controls the raising and lowering of the steering wheel. Optionally, a radar support bracket 3-6 may also be included.

[0093] Among them, screw 3-2 can be driven into the screw hole on the first guide rail 1 or the second guide rail 2 to fix the radar assembly device at the target position.

[0094] The first moving device is used for forward and backward movement of the radar, and the second moving device is used for left and right movement of the radar. In this embodiment, the movement controller can control the lifting and lowering of different first and second moving devices to realize the forward and backward movement of the radar on the first guide rail 1 or the left and right movement on the second guide rail 2.

[0095] For example, when the radar needs to move forward or backward, that is, when the radar moves on the first guide rail 1, before moving, the screw fasteners at the bottom of the radar rotate and rise, the first moving device descends, and the second moving device rises. Therefore, the radar can move forward and backward. Once the radar has moved to the designated position, the second moving device can be lowered, and at the same time, the screw fasteners are fixed downward into the screw holes in the first guide rail.

[0096] For example, when the radar needs to move forward or backward, that is, when the radar moves on the second guide rail 2, before moving, the screw fastener at the bottom of the radar rotates and rises, the second moving device descends, and the first moving device rises. Therefore, the radar can move left or right. Once the radar has moved to the designated position, the first moving device can be lowered, and at the same time, the screw fastener is fixed downward into the screw hole in the first guide rail.

[0097] The radar system provided in this application embodiment can move the radar on a first or second guide rail by raising or lowering the first and second lifting devices. It is understood that, compared to a radar system with only a first guide rail, a radar system including both a first and a second guide rail can further reduce the number of radars, thereby further reducing costs.

[0098] As an optional embodiment, Figure 7 In the radar system shown, a first rangefinder can also be installed at one end of the first guide rail and a second rangefinder can be installed at one end of the second guide rail. The first rangefinder is used to measure the distance between the radar and the first rangefinder, and the second rangefinder is used to measure the distance between the radar and the second rangefinder.

[0099] For example, Figure 9 The diagram shown is an installation schematic of a rangefinder provided in this embodiment. Figure 9 As shown, a first rangefinder is installed below the first guide rail, and a second rangefinder is installed on the right side of the second guide rail. It can be understood that when the radar is located on the first guide rail, its position on the first guide rail can be determined using the first rangefinder; when the radar is located on the second guide rail, its position on the second guide rail can be determined using the second rangefinder.

[0100] It should be noted here that... Figure 9The illustrated embodiment is merely an exemplary diagram of a rangefinder installation. Alternatively, the first rangefinder can be installed above the first guide rail and the second rangefinder installed to the left of the second guide rail, or the first rangefinder can be installed above the first guide rail and the second rangefinder installed to the right of the second guide rail, etc. This application does not limit the scope of the embodiments.

[0101] exist Figure 9 In the case shown, which includes a first rangefinder and a second rangefinder, optionally, when the radar is a single lidar, the radar system of this application embodiment can also calculate the extrinsic parameter values ​​of the radar at different locations.

[0102] In one feasible approach, since there are only two degrees of freedom changes—the first and second guide rails—the external parameters of the radar at the target position can be calculated in real time using two single-point ranging methods.

[0103] In one feasible implementation, the extrinsic parameters of the radar at the target position can be calculated in real time by interpolation fitting, using the extrinsic parameter values ​​of the four positions of the outermost boundary (front, back, left, and right) that have been pre-calibrated.

[0104] For example, with Figure 9 As shown in the example, before the mobile device leaves the factory, the radar's corresponding external parameter values ​​relative to the mobile device and the distance measured by the rangefinder are calibrated at four locations: position 1, position 2, position 3, and position 4.

[0105] Assume that at position 1, the radar's extrinsic parameters are {R1, t1}, and at position 3, the radar's extrinsic parameters are {R3, t3}, where R1 represents the radar's rotation matrix at position 1, t1 represents the radar's rotation and translation matrix at position 1, R3 represents the radar's rotation matrix at position 3, and t3 represents the radar's translation matrix at position 3.

[0106] Assume that the radar's extrinsic parameters are {R2, t2} at position 2 and {R4, t4} at position 4. Here, R2 represents the radar's rotation matrix at position 2, t2 represents the radar's translation matrix at position 2, R4 represents the radar's rotation matrix at position 4, and t4 represents the radar's translation matrix at position 4.

[0107] Furthermore, assuming the distance between the radar and the second rangefinder at position 1 is... The distance between the radar at position 3 and the second rangefinder is: The rotation angular axis vector of the radar from position 1 to position 3 is θ. 13 The rotation angle of the radar from position 1 to position 3 is |θ 13 The distance between the radar and the first rangefinder at position 2 is... The distance between the radar at position 4 and the first rangefinder is The rotation angular axis vector of the radar from position 2 to position 4 is θ. 24 The rotation angle of the radar from position 2 to position 4 is |θ|. 24 |

[0108] Assuming the radar moves to a target position j, to solve for the rotation and translation matrices at position j, the distance l between the radar and the first rangefinder at position j can be measured using the first rangefinder. v The distance l between the radar at position j and the second rangefinder is measured using the second rangefinder. h .

[0109] It is understandable that when a single lidar emits a laser, the direction of the emitted laser is unidirectional. Therefore, if the position j of the single lidar is on the first guide rail, the second rangefinder will measure l. h Greater than If the lidar is positioned j on the second guide rail (as shown in the figure), then the distance measured by the first rangefinder will be l. v Greater than

[0110] In this embodiment, a method for interpolation fitting using positions 1, 2, 3, and 4 is as follows:

[0111] when At that time, the rotation matrix of the radar at position j is The translation matrix is when At that time, the rotation matrix of the radar at position j is The translation matrix is

[0112] Here, E(a,b) represents a rotation matrix with vector b as the axis of rotation and a as the angle of rotation.

[0113] The radar system provided in this embodiment can quickly fit the radar's extrinsic parameters based on pre-calibrated extrinsic parameter values, thereby ensuring the accuracy of perception, positioning, and fusion during radar movement.

[0114] It is understood that for the radar system provided in this application embodiment, the higher the cost of a single radar, such as lidar, the greater the cost reduction that this application embodiment can achieve.

[0115] It should be noted that the radar system provided in this application can be applied to different mobile devices, such as robotaxi or map collection vehicles.

[0116] As an example, when the radar system provided in this application is installed on a map collection vehicle, the vehicle can obtain comprehensive external environmental information through the radar system. This information is then combined with external environmental information obtained from other sensors using a specific algorithm to calculate the information needed for map production. The concept and specific implementation of the map collection vehicle can be found in related technical documents and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0117] As another example, when the radar system provided in this application is installed in an autonomous taxi, the taxi can obtain comprehensive information about the external environment through the radar system. This information is then fused with information obtained from other sensors using a specific algorithm to determine the surrounding road conditions and proceed with further operations. The concept and specific implementation of the autonomous taxi can be found in related technical descriptions, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0118] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it can also represent an "and / or" relationship. Please refer to the context for a more accurate understanding.

[0119] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0120] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0121] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A radar system, characterized in that, The radar system includes a first guide rail, a second guide rail, a radar, a first moving device, a second moving device, and a moving controller; The radar is fixed on the first mobile device and the second mobile device. The mobile controller is used to control the first mobile device to move on the first guide rail and to control the second mobile device to move on the second guide rail. The first guide rail and the second guide rail are fixedly mounted on the mobile device. The second guide rail intersects with the first guide rail. A first rangefinder is mounted on one end of the first guide rail, and a second rangefinder is mounted on one end of the second guide rail. The first rangefinder is used to measure the distance between the radar and the first rangefinder, and the second rangefinder is used to measure the distance between the radar and the second rangefinder. The radar system is configured to: pre-calibrate the radar's extrinsic parameters at four boundary positions defined by the intersection of the first guide rail and the second guide rail, and record the distance between the radar and the corresponding first rangefinder or second rangefinder at the four boundary positions; the four boundary positions include: the front end position and the rear end position of the first guide rail, and the left end position and the right end position of the second guide rail; Based on the pre-calibrated extrinsic parameters of the radar at the four boundary positions, the recorded corresponding distances, and the distances between the radar at the current position and the first and second rangefinders measured in real time, the extrinsic parameters of the radar at the current position are determined by interpolation calculation.

2. The radar system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first moving device includes a rotating wheel, and the moving controller is used to control the rotation of the rotating wheel.

3. The radar system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radar system also includes a first fixing device for fixing the radar at the target location.

4. The radar system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first guide rail includes a screw hole, and the first fixing device includes a first motor and a screw. One end of the screw is connected to the radar, and the first motor is used to control the screw to move into the screw hole.

5. The radar system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radar system further includes a second fixing device, which is used to fix the movement trajectory of the first mobile device on the first guide rail.

6. The radar system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second fixing device includes a groove on the radar surface for embedding the upper arm of the first guide rail.

7. The radar system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The mobility controller is used to control the direction and / or distance of movement of the first mobile device based on the driving information of the mobile device.

8. The radar system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The driving information includes the direction of movement of the mobile device, and the motion controller is used to control the direction of movement of the first mobile device to be the same as the direction of movement of the mobile device.

9. The radar system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and 8, characterized in that, The guide rail includes a cable groove for placing the connection cable between the mobile controller and the first mobile device, the connection cable between the radar and the mobile device, or the connection cable between the mobile controller and the mobile device.

10. The radar system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and 8, characterized in that, The radar system also includes a microcontroller unit, which controls the radar's transmission frequency and / or field of view (FOV).

11. The radar system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radar system further includes a first lifting device and a second lifting device. The first lifting device is used to control the first moving device to leave the rail surface of the second guide rail when the second moving device moves on the second guide rail. The second lifting device is used to control the second moving device to leave the rail surface of the first guide rail when the first moving device moves on the first guide rail.

12. The radar system according to claim 1, characterized in that, If the radar is a single laser radar, when the radar moves to position j, and At that time, the rotation matrix of the radar at position j is The translation matrix is ; in, This represents the rotation matrix of the radar when it is in front of the first guide rail. This represents the translation matrix of the radar when it is in front of the first guide rail. This represents the rotation matrix of the radar when it is behind the first guide rail. This represents the translation matrix when the radar is behind the first guide rail; This indicates the distance between the radar at position j and the second rangefinder. This indicates the distance between the radar at position j and the first rangefinder. This indicates the distance between the radar and the second rangefinder when the radar is on the left side of the second guide rail. This indicates the distance between the radar and the first rangefinder when the radar is in front of the first guide rail. This indicates the distance between the radar and the first rangefinder when the radar is behind the first guide rail. This represents the rotational angular axis vector of the radar from the front side to the rear side of the first guide rail. This indicates the magnitude of the rotation angle of the radar from the front side to the rear side of the first guide rail. This represents a rotation matrix with vector b as the axis of rotation and a as the angle of rotation.

13. The radar system according to claim 1 or 12, characterized in that, If the radar is a single laser radar, when the radar moves to position j, and At that time, the rotation matrix of the radar at position j is The translation matrix is ; in, This represents the rotation matrix of the radar when it is on the left side of the second guide rail. This represents the rotation and translation matrix when the radar is to the left of the second guide rail. This represents the rotation matrix of the radar when it is on the right side of the second guide rail. This represents the translation matrix when the radar is to the right of the second guide rail; This indicates the distance between the radar at position j and the first rangefinder. This indicates the distance between the radar at position j and the second rangefinder. This indicates the distance between the radar and the first rangefinder when the radar is in front of the first guide rail. This indicates the distance between the radar and the second rangefinder when the radar is on the left side of the second guide rail. This indicates the distance between the radar and the second rangefinder when the radar is on the right side of the second guide rail. This represents the rotational angular axis vector of the radar from the left side of the second guide rail to the right side of the second guide rail. This indicates the magnitude of the rotation angle of the radar from the left side of the second guide rail to the right side of the second guide rail.

14. The radar system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, 8, and 11 to 12, characterized in that, The mobile device includes any of the following: autonomous taxis and map collection vehicles.

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