Autonomous Vehicle Crosswalk Decision Logic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous moving objects lack guidance on whether to continue crossing or stop and return when a traffic light signal changes during crosswalk navigation, leading to potential unsafe and inefficient crossing of crosswalks.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous moving object equipped with an environment information acquisition unit, self-position estimation unit, and traveling route decision unit that calculates the time to cross or return to the start point based on traffic light signal changes, selecting the route that minimizes crossing time and ensures safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the autonomous moving object continues crossing the crosswalk when the traffic light signal changes from blue to red, then the crossing time is reduced, but the safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculation of the time required to reach the opposite side of the crosswalk before the traffic light changes from blue to red. By anticipating the signal change and pre-calculating the optimal action (continue or return), the system enables the autonomous moving object to make timely decisions that minimize crossing time while ensuring safety, thus resolving the contradiction between speed and safety.
2Reliability
If the autonomous moving object stops and returns to the start point when the traffic light signal changes, then the safety is improved, but the crossing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates in advance whether returning to the start point is more efficient than continuing to cross when the traffic light changes. By pre-evaluating both options (continue vs. return) and selecting the optimal path, the system ensures safety while minimizing the total time loss, thus resolving the contradiction between safety and time efficiency.
3Device complexity
If the autonomous moving object lacks decision guidance for traffic light changes, then the device complexity is reduced, but the crossing efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous moving object autonomously determines whether to continue crossing or return to the start point by itself when the traffic light changes, without requiring external guidance or complex centralized control. This self-service decision-making capability improves crossing efficiency while avoiding the need for complex external control systems, thus resolving the contradiction between system complexity and crossing efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An environment information acquisition unit acquires a signal state of a traffic light. A self-position estimation unit estimates a self-position of the autonomous moving object. A traveling route decision unit calculates a first time necessary to move along a first route from the self-position to an end point of a crosswalk and a second time necessary to move along a second route from the self-point to a start point of the crosswalk in a case in which the signal state is changed from blue to red on the crosswalk after a predetermined time or in a case in which the signal state is changed from blue to red, and selects a route corresponding to a time smaller between the first time and the second time. A vehicle control unit controls autonomous movement of the autonomous moving object so that the autonomous moving object moves along the selected route.