Vehicle with remote exteroceptive sensor

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle for transporting goods and / or people on a right-hand or left-hand drive road, comprising, for a given exteroceptive sensor model, a single sensor of that model positioned on a front part of the vehicle to obtain information about the environment in which the vehicle is located, referred to as the single front sensor. In the case of right-hand drive, respectively left-hand drive, the single front sensor is offset to the left, respectively to the right, by a median sagittal plane separating a left part from a right part of the vehicle.

Description

Title of the invention: Vehicle with remote exteroceptive sensor technical field

[0001] The field of the invention is that of robotics, and more particularly that of autonomous vehicles and driving aids. Previous technique

[0002] In the field of autonomous vehicles and driving aids, two types of sensors are classically used, namely exteroceptive sensors, on the one hand, which focus on observing their environment (laser remote sensing sensors called LiDAR, cameras, radars, satellite positioning sensors) and proprioceptive sensors, on the other hand, which focus on the internal state.

[0003] When the choice is made for a given model of exteroceptive sensors, such as LiDARS, to install two of them on a vehicle, these are either mounted near the front left and front right corners of the vehicle for the purpose of detecting obstacles and other road users, or placed on the roof at the front and rear on the median sagittal plane of the vehicle, that is to say in the middle of its width, for localization purposes by SLAM (English acronym for "Simultaneous Localisation And Mapping") for example.

[0004] In the first case, this choice is dictated by the desire for a redundant solution where the most critical field of view (FOV) remains covered by the other sensor in the event of the loss of one of them. This placement at each front corner, or nearby, is particularly true for scan-LiDARs, rotating LiDARs that sweep a horizontal angle of up to 360°. When their FOV and orientation allow them to observe each other, provided they are not single-layer LiDARs and therefore do not have a non-point vertical FOV (or VFOV, as opposed to a horizontal FOV, or HFOV), this configuration also has the advantage of allowing detection, by the observing sensor, over a certain height range at the level of the observed sensor.

[0005] When these sensors are placed in a low position, this mutual observation mitigates the fact that, at the origin of the FOV of the observed sensor, the latter suffers from not being able to perceive the size of a very close obstacle, and therefore potentially being sensitive to dust and rain, the mutual observation then making it possible to evaluate the thickness of the detected obstacle in order to filter out false positives.

[0006] When these sensors are located at a height close to the roof, this generally indicates that they are also used for localization. However, due to the greater proximity between these two sensors compared to the second option where they are placed Generally, at the front and rear, the heading measurement is less precise and the risk of simultaneous limitation of the FOVs of both sensors by an obstacle is greater than if they are more spaced apart.

[0007] The second case of two sensors placed on the roof in the vehicle's median sagittal plane indicates that the primary need is for localization, even though they can also be used for obstacle detection beyond the first few meters. This solution, which was preferred for symmetrical vehicles that did not distinguish between front and rear, is, however, tending to disappear as bidirectionality is abandoned in favor of a simple central sensor or the two-sensor solution, generally LiDARs, mentioned above.

[0008] Note that some vehicles choose to have four scan-LiDARs placed at the four corners of the vehicle, so that when one LiDAR is lost, the entire horizontal field it covered remains covered by the LiDARs of the two adjacent corners.

[0009] It should also be noted that when, in order to limit costs, the exteroceptive sensor is installed alone for localization purposes and / or for detecting obstacles and other road users, it is systematically placed in the median sagittal plane of the vehicle. This position makes the perception obtained symmetrical for the left and right sides of the vehicle. Description of the invention

[0010] The invention aims to improve the perception of the environment of a vehicle travelling on a traffic lane when a single sensor of a given exteroceptive sensor model is installed on a front part of the vehicle.

[0011] To this end, the invention relates to a vehicle for the transport of goods and / or persons on a right-hand or left-hand drive road, comprising, for a given first exteroceptive sensor model, a single sensor of this first model positioned on a front part of the vehicle to obtain information about the environment in which the vehicle is located, referred to as the single front sensor. In the case of right-hand drive, respectively left-hand drive, the single front sensor is offset to the left, respectively to the right, by a median sagittal plane separating a left part from a right part of the vehicle.

[0012] Some preferred but not limiting aspects of this vehicle are as follows: - it includes a left side, a right side, a front side which connects the left side and the right side, the single front sensor is positioned on the front part of the vehicle at the connection of the left side and the front side in the case of right-hand drive or at the connection of the right side and the front side in the case of left-hand drive; - the single front sensor is positioned in an upper portion of the front part of the vehicle; - it includes a roof which has a front left portion at the junction of the left side and the front side and a front right portion at the junction of the right side and the front side and the single front sensor is positioned near the front left portion in the case of right-hand drive or near the front right portion in the case of left-hand drive; - the single front sensor is positioned on the roof; - an unobstructed horizontal field of vision of the single front sensor covers an angle greater than or equal to 180°, preferably an angle of at least 270°; - it further includes, for a second model of exteroceptive sensor given, identical or different from the first model of sensor, a single sensor of this second model positioned on a rear part of the vehicle to obtain information on the environment in which the vehicle is located, said single rear sensor, said single rear sensor being offset from the median sagittal plane separating the left part from the right part of the vehicle; - in the case of right-hand drive, respectively left-hand drive, the single rear sensor is offset to the right, respectively to the left, from the median sagittal plane separating the left part from the right part of the vehicle; - the single front sensor is positioned on the front part of the vehicle at a first height, the single rear sensor is positioned on the rear part of the vehicle at a second height, the first height and the second height differing from each other by no more than 20% of the height of the vehicle; - the single rear sensor is positioned on the roof; - the only front sensor is a LiDAR sensor, a camera or a radar. Brief description of the drawings

[0013] Other aspects, objects, advantages and features of the invention will become clearer upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, considering for the example a right-hand drive and on which:

[0014] [Fig.1A]

[0015] [Fig.1B]

[0016] - Figures IA and IB illustrate, for a single anteriorly positioned exteroceptive sensor on a vehicle according to the invention, the gain in unobstructed surface area of ​​the field of vision when said vehicle is behind another vehicle partially obscuring its field of view, relative to the same exteroceptive sensor positioned in the median sagittal plane of the vehicle;

[0017] [Fig.2A]

[0018] [Fig.2B]

[0019] - Figures 2A and 2B illustrate the gain in detection distance when the single the front exteroceptive sensor is laterally offset from the median sagittal plane in accordance with the invention compared to the case where the single front exteroceptive sensor is positioned at the level of this median sagittal plane of the vehicle;

[0020] [Fig.3A]

[0021] [Fig.3B]

[0022] - Figures 3A and 3B respectively represent a side view and a top view in cross-section at lm20 height of the field of view of the single front exteroceptive sensor when positioned in the center of the front face of the vehicle;

[0023] Figures 3A and 3B represent how the field of vision of the single front exteroceptive sensor positioned in the median sagittal plane does not allow the detection of a child close to the vehicle where the risk is highest, this through respectively a side view and a top view in cross-section at 1m20 height.

[0024] - [Fig. 3C] represents, through a top view in cross-section at a height of 1.20 m, how the child is this time in the field of vision of the single exteroceptive front sensor when said sensor is laterally shifted according to the invention;

[0025] - Figure 4A represents, at an acute angle intersection, the fields of view of the single front exteroceptive sensor depending on whether said sensor is positioned at the front in the median sagittal plane of the vehicle, whether it is positioned on the vehicle according to the invention, or whether it is positioned on the side face of the vehicle;

[0026] - [Fig. 4B] represents the perception limits of a single exteroceptic sensor depending on whether said sensor is positioned on the median sagittal plane of the front face of the vehicle or positioned on the vehicle according to the invention;

[0027] - Figure 5A represents an embodiment of the invention in which the only The front exteroceptive sensor positioned according to the invention is placed in a high position on the vehicle and can therefore observe beyond a road user placed right next to said vehicle;

[0028] [Fig.5B]

[0029] [Fig.5C]

[0030] - Figures 5B and 5C show, by way of example, the positioning of the sensor Figure 5A will illustrate the positioning situations of a vehicle on the road relative to other road users, respectively upon arrival at an intersection between two-lane streets or upon arrival at a roundabout;

[0031] - [Fig. 6] represents an embodiment of the invention in which the fields The vision of the single front exteroceptive sensor and a single rear exteroceptive sensor each cover an angle of 270° and the union of the two fields of vision allows observation of the perimeter of the vehicle at 360° of horizontal field of view, with redundancy at the level of the front right part and the rear left part;

[0032] - [Fig. 7] represents, through a vertical cross-sectional view along the right flank of the vehicle, how a single right rear exteroceptive sensor allows observation of the side access or loading doors located on the curb side, in an embodiment where the two sensors are for example scan-LiDAR;

[0033] - [Fig.8] represents the lateral distance traveled in a turn by the center of the front axle of a two-wheel steering vehicle compared to that traveled by the center of the rear axle, in order to illustrate how the side face of a two-wheel steering vehicle can, just like the front face, also hit a pedestrian;

[0034] [Fig.9A]

[0035] [Fig.9B]

[0036] - Figures 9A and 9B compare the field of view of the single exteroceptive sensor rear right with the field of view it would have if placed near the front right edge, so as to visualize the blind spot associated with each of these positions. [Fig. 9A] is a vertical section, and [Fig. 9B] a section in the horizontal plane.

[0037] In all these figures, right-hand drive is considered. The placement of the single front sensor of a given model, and where applicable that of the single rear sensor of a given model, identical or different from that of the single front sensor, are laterally reversed for left-hand drive.

[0038] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

[0039] The invention relates to a vehicle for the transport of goods and / or persons. The vehicle typically comprises a left side, a right side, a front side connecting the left and right sides, and a rear side connecting the left and right sides. A median sagittal plane of the vehicle (a vertical plane extending from the rear to the front of the vehicle at its midpoint) separates a left portion from a right portion of the vehicle.

[0040] One or both of these sides can be profiled, the invention being in no way limited to a brick-shaped vehicle but extending, on the contrary, to any type of shape, including with protrusions that can carry sensors. The edges or connections linking the sides can be more or less pronounced, taking the form of broken or continuous lines.

[0041] The vehicle may further include a roof having a front left portion at the junction of the left side and the front side and a front right portion at the junction of the right side and the front side, a rear left portion at the level of the connection between the left side and the rear side, and a right rear portion at the level of the connection between the right side and the rear side.

[0042] The vehicle may be a vehicle with driver assistance or an autonomous vehicle. For example, it may be an electric vehicle.

[0043] According to a first embodiment, the vehicle according to the invention comprises, for a given exteroceptive sensor model, a single instance of this sensor on a front part of the vehicle for obtaining information about the environment in which the vehicle is located. For the sake of clarity, the term “single front sensor” will hereafter refer to a single instance of a given model positioned on the front part of the vehicle, bearing in mind that other sensor models, including exteroceptive ones, may also be present on this front part. If, according to applicable regulations, the vehicle is traveling on a right-hand drive lane, the single front exteroceptive sensor is positioned on the front part of the vehicle, offset to the left of the median sagittal plane.Conversely, if, according to current regulations, the vehicle is travelling on a left-hand drive lane, the single front exteroceptive sensor is positioned on the front part of the vehicle, offset to the right of the median sagittal plane. Thus, regardless of the direction of traffic in the vehicle's vicinity, the single front sensor is located on the side opposite to the direction of travel.

[0044] The single front sensor can be positioned anywhere on the front of the vehicle, from the grille to the roof, including the side of the hood and the windshield. In one embodiment, the single front sensor is carried by an arm fixed to the vehicle.

[0045] The single front exteroceptive sensor is, for example, and not limited to, a LiDAR, a scan-LiDAR, a camera, a hypergon camera, a cata-dioptric camera, a radar, a housing which includes several LiDARs, cameras or radars.

[0046] The information on the environment in which the vehicle is located, provided by the single front sensor, can be used, for example, for obstacle detection, localization (relative and / or absolute) and / or mapping.

[0047] The invention does not preclude the presence on the front part of the vehicle of other sensors that do not constitute instances of said exteroceptive sensor model. For example, in addition to said single front sensor, there may be a LiDAR at the bottom center of the front face and two different LiDARs occupying the two front corners, all for obstacle detection but with differences in their detection capabilities.

[0048] Figures IA and IB represent a common situation of a vehicle 200 on the road, in an urban environment or some other type of environment, in which a second vehicle 210 of similar or even larger size is temporarily in front of said vehicle. The vehicle 200 has only one instance at the front of a given exteroceptive sensor model, offset to the left of the median sagittal plane. Vehicle 200 is driving on the right.

[0049] In particular, [Fig. 1A] illustrates, by means of vertical stripes 101, the portion of the field of view of the sensor 100 of the vehicle 200 that is not obscured by the vehicle 210 in the case where the only front exteroceptive sensor is a sensor with a field of view of less than 180° offset significantly to the left, the gain being proportional to the offset. By way of comparison, the horizontal stripes 051 show the portion of the field of view not obscured when a sensor 050 of the same model is placed at the front of the vehicle 200 in the median sagittal plane. Similarly, [Fig. 1B] illustrates this for a sensor model covering a field of view greater than 180°, here at least 270°. The part of the field of vision 051 not obscured by the sensor in the central position of the front of the vehicle 200 is hatched horizontally, while that of the sensor in the lateral position is hatched vertically.

[0050] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the total horizontal field of view of the single front sensor covers an angle greater than or equal to 180°, preferably an angle of 270°. The single front sensor is, for example, a LiDAR scan.

[0051] Regardless of the sensor used, provided it has a sufficient field of view, shifting the front exteroceptive sensor to the left for vehicle 200 allows, with a slight loss on the front right, an increase in the unobstructed field of view to the front left within an angle defined by lines 054 and 104, as well as an increase in the unobstructed field of view on the other traffic lane (zone 101). This is because fewer rays are blocked when the sensor is shifted laterally.

[0052] Thus, when the sensor is used for localization, offsetting the sensor laterally will advantageously allow more beams to avoid being blocked by the vehicle in front. Furthermore, offsetting it to the left in the case of right-hand drive will advantageously allow it to better see what lies beyond the vehicle in front and in the left lane.

[0053] As illustrated in [Fig. 1B], positioning the single front exteroceptive sensor near the edge between the front and left side of the vehicle 200 is particularly advantageous in the case of a sensor with a wide horizontal field of view, for example, a sensor with a field of view greater than 180° such as a LiDAR scan. Such sensor positioning makes it possible to utilize a portion of the sensor's rearward-facing FOV. When such a sensor is not placed near the edge between the front and left side, the rearward-facing FOV rays remain unusable, partially if the sensor is placed at roof level, and completely otherwise, due to the impact of these rays with the bodywork. By advantageously placing this sensor in the corner, the rearward-facing rays do not are more blocked. This also applies to sensors with a horizontal field of view of less than 180° but oriented at a non-zero angle to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle in such a way that part of their FOV can look towards the rear.

[0054] This makes it possible to increase the amount of relevant information in the context of use for localization by increasing its coverage in space.

[0055] This also addresses the need to minimize the risk of too large a portion of the sensor's field of view being occupied by a moving or temporarily stationary obstacle, which could then be incorrectly considered by the algorithms as an integral part of the static reference environment. This is why, for example, ultra-wide-angle cameras are generally preferred in visual SLAM localization applications.

[0056] Another possibility to avoid blocking part of the beams would have been to raise the sensor well above the roof. However, choosing such an alternative increases the overall height of the vehicle, which is undesirable due to height restrictions (height limiters in parking lots, limits for container transport), loss of aerodynamics, etc.

[0057] Figures 2A and 2B illustrate another common situation in urban and suburban driving, in which a pedestrian 220 emerges from behind a vehicle parked on the side of the road, the sensor's field of view being limited along line 054 by the parked vehicle. It is clear from Figures 2A and 2B that the vehicle according to the invention is able to detect the pedestrian 220 as it crosses line 105. By comparison, a vehicle whose sensor is at the level of the median sagittal axis would only detect the pedestrian from line 055 onwards. The detection distance is therefore increased. Gaining a few precious hundred milliseconds by anticipating its detection by a few meters makes it possible to reduce the number of accidents and limit their severity. This is advantageously achieved by offsetting the single front exteroceptive sensor of the vehicle 200 to the left.

[0058] Figures 4A and 4B illustrate yet another situation in which the vehicle according to the invention finds a particular advantage: monitoring intersections. It is not uncommon for the layout of urban areas not to follow a grid pattern. Thus, intersections are not all at right angles, forcing the driver to look over their left shoulder to see what is happening on that side beyond 90° or to use their rearview mirror. This is also the case for acceleration / merging lanes.

[0059] This type of acute-angle intersection is much rarer on the right-hand side. Indeed, since the presence of a passenger on the right, or even the vehicle's roll bars, obstructs the driver's view of the intersection, the infrastructure generally allows to orient the vehicle over the last few meters so as to bring it back to the case of a right-angle intersection.

[0060] Figure 4A thus presents a scenario of an acute-angle intersection for which it is evident that the horizontally striped field of view 050 of the sensor placed at the level of the median sagittal plane of the front of the vehicle cannot observe vehicles arriving from the left. When the sensor is placed near the left front edge, it can then observe horizontally at 270° as illustrated by the field of view 101, the vertical stripes of which illustrate the portion of the field observing said intersection. In the event of partial obstruction of the intersection due to the presence of an obstacle 240, this placement allows for much better observation of the intersection, limited above the dashed line 104, than a sensor set back on the left side, whose portion of the field of view 150 observing the intersection is then limited above the dashed line 154.

[0061] Similarly, [Fig.4B] shows the limits of perception in dotted lines 104 and in dashes 054 when the sensor is respectively placed in the center and offset significantly to the left of the vehicle while a vehicle 250 or any other element degrades visibility in the intersection.

[0062] To best observe the type of intersections illustrated in [Fig. 4A] and 4B, it is particularly advantageous to place the sensor near the front left edge of the vehicle to allow it to observe to the rear if its field of view permits. This eliminates the need for an additional sensor to observe this side. Finally, this also allows for better observation of the intersections than with a sensor placed further back on the left side, as visibility is improved in conditions where buildings, vegetation, or even a poorly parked vehicle at the intersection partially obscure the view.

[0063] Another point to consider is the importance, in urban environments, of adequately covering the front right side of the vehicle in terms of visibility, as this part of the vehicle is the first to be involved in accidents with vulnerable road users due to the presence of cycle paths and sidewalks on the right. Furthermore, right-hand turns are generally the tightest, while left-hand turns are wider, especially when turning at an intersection with a two-way road (one lane in each direction). Considering, on the one hand, the small size of a young child, and on the other hand, a LiDAR scan sensor positioned relatively high, given its cone-shaped field of view, shifting the sensor one meter to the left from the center advantageously covers an area one meter closer to the vehicle, thus ensuring the child's detection, as illustrated in Figure 3.

[0064] Figures 3A, 3B and 3C thus illustrate the advantage of offsetting a sensor such as a LidAR in the front left corner in order to better cover the area close to the vehicle. More specifically, [Fig.3A] shows a side view with sensor 050 centered laterally and where the lowest LiDAR beams 052 of field of view 051 pass over the head of child 221; [Fig.3B] presents a top view according to a horizontal section showing only the elements below 1.20m in height, including the section of field of view 051, and [Fig.3C] presents this same view but for the same LiDAR 100 shifted towards the front left corner where it can be observed that child 221 is now in field of view 101 of the sensor.

[0065] According to a particular embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention, the sensor is positioned on the front part of the vehicle at the junction of the left side panel and the front side panel in the case of right-hand drive, or at the junction of the right side panel and the front side panel in the case of left-hand drive. Without limiting the scope of this, the single front sensor may, for example, be positioned in an upper portion of the front part of the vehicle. In particular, it may be positioned near the front left portion of the roof in the case of right-hand drive, or near the front right portion of the roof in the case of left-hand drive. It may be positioned on the roof or on an upper portion of the front side panel.

[0066] Positioning the sensor at a height, or even on the roof, is a particularly advantageous embodiment for detecting traffic beyond a road user who might otherwise cover a large part of the field of view of a sensor placed lower down due to its close proximity to the vehicle. Furthermore, thanks to its high position at the level of the front left portion of the roof, the sensor has a greater chance of observing the scene over 270°.

[0067] Figures 5A, 5B and 5C illustrate situations in which the high positioning of the sensor can prove particularly advantageous, such as stops at traffic lights on 2x2 lane roads (not shown here) or when approaching a roundabout. In Figures 5A, 5B and 5C, the single front sensor 100 is positioned high on the vehicle 200 so that it experiences less partial occlusion of its field of vision 101 from other road users (such as cars 250 and motorcycles 251) than a sensor 110 located low. In addition, placed at the level of the front left portion, the single front sensor 100 can thus more easily observe the scene at 270°, allowing it to better negotiate the intersection of Figure 5B or the roundabout intersection of [Fig.5C] thanks to the perception of the vehicles 252 coming from its left.

[0068] According to another embodiment, the vehicle according to the invention comprises, in addition to the single sensor for a first given model at the front, a single rear exteroceptive sensor for obtaining information on the environment in which the vehicle is located. For the sake of readability, we understand here by “single rear sensor” a single instance of a second given model of exteroceptive sensor for The rear of the vehicle, this second sensor model being either identical or different from that of the single front sensor, allows for multiple sensor models to coexist on the same part of the vehicle. For example, the single front sensor could be an instance of a first LiDAR model, and the single rear sensor could be an instance of a second LiDAR model different from the first. In another example, the single front sensor could be an instance of a scan-LiDAR model, and the single rear sensor could be an instance of a 360° camera model with a horizontal FOV.

[0069] When the vehicle is driving on the right, the single rear sensor is offset from the medial sagittal plane to the right. When the vehicle is driving on the left, the single rear exteroceptive sensor is positioned offset from the medial sagittal plane to the left. Arrangements similar to those described above for the single front sensor (e.g., elevated or not, on the roof or not) can be used for the single rear sensor.

[0070] Thus, the single rear sensor and the single front sensor are not located on the same side: - if the single front sensor is offset to the left, the single rear sensor is offset to the right, - respectively, if the single front sensor is offset to the right, the single rear sensor is offset to the left.

[0071] As explained above in the prior art, when it comes to localization, the choice is generally made to place two sensors in the median sagittal plane at the front and rear of the vehicle in order to increase the accuracy of the vehicle's heading assessment. As explained previously in the case of a single sensor, it is also not optimal to leave the rear sensor in the center.

[0072] Offsetting it to the left relative to the vehicle's steering axis, i.e., to the same side as the front sensor, may be recommended if one wishes to observe vehicles that may overtake. However, several other reasons lead to preferring an offset to the right.

[0073] Thus, a shift to the right will further increase the distance between the sensors in order to further increase the accuracy of the heading.

[0074] Having the rear sensor diametrically opposite the front one is also a desirable aspect so as not to have both sensors, if they are used first for localization purposes, simultaneously disturbed by the arrival of a vehicle on the left side of ours, especially if this other vehicle is large.

[0075] On the other hand, [Fig. 6] shows how the positioning of the single rear sensor 300 allows, in addition to the positioning of the single front sensor 100 to observe the vehicle's perimeter with a 360° horizontal field of view, with redundancy at the front right section (302), the most vulnerable area for users of urban spaces. We will also have redundancy at the rear left area where vehicles preparing to overtake us are located.

[0076] Thus, in the case where the two sensors are capable of each covering a horizontal field close to 270° for example, placing the second sensor at the level of the rear-right edge advantageously allows them to cover the 360° around the vehicle together, the second one being responsible for the rear and right sides of the vehicle.

[0077] Furthermore, in the case of public transport vehicles and goods vehicles, the opening is on the right, on the curb side (since the latter do not have a rear loading area). This second sensor is therefore advantageously placed in a right-hand corner of the vehicle in order to monitor lateral access.

[0078] Thus, [Fig.7] presents for one embodiment a vertical cross-sectional view, along the right side of the vehicle, of the vertical striped field of view 101 of a front left LiDAR scan and of the horizontal striped field of view 301 of a rear right LiDAR scan 300, with in particular the lower perimeter of this field in light line 302 thus illustrating to what extent the field of view of this sensor covers the side access door 500 of the vehicle.

[0079] Finally, it remains important to monitor the front of the right side of the vehicle because, firstly, this is the side on which vulnerable road users are most often located, and secondly, with two-wheel steering vehicles, the rear axle does not exactly follow the trajectory of the front axle when turning but intersects it. Consequently, when turning, the lateral faces of the vehicle exhibit a normal movement component in the horizontal plane perpendicular to the vehicle's axis, a component that is all the more significant the further forward it is observed and the tighter the turn. Figure 8 illustrates this by showing, when turning, the lateral distance 602 traveled by the center of the front axle 601 of a two-wheel steering vehicle 600 compared to the lateral distance 604 traveled by the center of the rear axle 603.In other words, the side of the vehicle can strike a pedestrian, cyclist, or any other road user, with the impact being all the more severe the closer they are to the front of the vehicle. However, if the second sensor is installed high up primarily for localization purposes, and given that most sensors have a limited vertical field of view (FOV), the most dangerous lateral area will not be within its FOV if the sensor is located above this front area. Figure 9 illustrates the blind spot in the danger zone for pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users, below the diagonal striped field of view 401 of a sensor placed on the front right 400, compared to that of a sensor 300 placed on the rear right. This illustration is shown in [Fig. 9A] in both a vertical and horizontal cross-section. in the horizontal plane in [Fig. 9B]. Note that, for display purposes, the length associated with the fields of view stops at the first ray that makes contact with the ground. In practice, rays that do not encounter obstacles naturally extend beyond this distance. The sensor is therefore also advantageously placed near the rear right edge in order to monitor this area.

[0080] The remaining comparison, therefore, lies with the option commonly observed on non-bidirectional vehicles, namely two sensors placed on either side of the vehicle's front end. This positioning first ensures redundancy of perception at the front of the vehicle in case one of the sensors fails, whether mechanically, electrically, electronically, in its data analysis software for extracting high-level information, or due to environmental conditions that introduce artifacts into the perception. Now, just as happened in aeronautics with engines, sensors as a system are becoming more reliable, both with regard to hardware problems and the intelligence of the algorithms processing their data. In doing so, a large part of the need for redundancy disappears.

[0081] And with increasingly larger usable vertical fields of view, it then becomes technically possible to lower the minimum distance required to observe the vertical dimension of the apparent obstacle, and thus improve the recognition of a water droplet from a real obstacle. The need for sensors positioned to observe each other will therefore decrease.

[0082] Thus, in the long run, the main advantages justifying the choice to use two sensors, with these sensors placed at the front left and right corners, will disappear. A comparative analysis of the benefits of each configuration will lead to the conclusion that placing this second sensor at the rear right edge meets the greatest number of needs.

Claims

Demands

1. A vehicle with driver assistance or autonomous driving on a right-hand or left-hand drive lane, comprising, for a first model of exteroceptive sensor given, a single sensor of this first model positioned on a front part of the vehicle to obtain information on the environment in which the vehicle is located, called the single front sensor, characterized in that in the case of right-hand drive, respectively left-hand drive, the single front sensor is offset to the left, respectively to the right, by a median sagittal plane separating a left part from a right part of the vehicle;comprising a left side, a right side, a front side which connects the left side and the right side, and in which the single front sensor is positioned on the front part of the vehicle at the junction of the left side and the front side in the case of right-hand drive or at the junction of the right side and the front side in the case of left-hand drive, in which an unobstructed horizontal field of vision of the single front sensor, arranged without elevation, allows to cover an angle greater than or equal to 180°.;

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the single front sensor is positioned in an upper portion of the front part of the vehicle.

3. Vehicle according to claim 2, comprising a roof which has a front left portion at the junction of the left side and the front side and a front right portion at the junction of the right side and the front side and in which the single front sensor is positioned near the front left portion in the case of right-hand drive or near the front right portion in the case of left-hand drive.

4. Vehicle according to claim 3, in which the single front sensor is positioned on the roof.

5. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising for a second model of exteroceptive sensor given, identical or different from the first model of sensor, a single sensor of this second model positioned on a rear part of the vehicle to obtain information on the environment in which the vehicle is located, said single rear sensor, said single rear sensor being offset from the median sagittal plane separating the left part from the right part of the vehicle.

6. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in which one and / or the other of the sides are profiled, the edges or links connecting the sides being more or less marked, and in which the single front sensor is carried by an arm attached to the vehicle.

7. Vehicle according to claim 5, wherein in the case of right-hand drive, respectively left-hand drive, the single rear sensor is offset to the right, respectively to the left, from the median sagittal plane separating the left part from the right part of the vehicle.

8. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the single front sensor is positioned on the front part of the vehicle at a first height, the single rear sensor is positioned on the rear part of the vehicle at a second height, the first height and the second height differing from each other by at most 20% of the height of the vehicle.

9. Vehicle according to any one of claims 7 to 8, wherein the single rear sensor is positioned on the roof.

10. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the single sensor can look rearward, having a horizontal field of view of less than 180° but oriented at a non-zero angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

11. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the single front sensor is a LiDAR sensor, a camera or a radar.

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