Autonomous Vehicle Drone Deployment for Extended Sensor Range
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face limitations in detecting objects and conditions beyond the range of onboard sensors, restricting their speed and operational capabilities due to physical range limitations of sensors and impediments in the environment.
Innovation Solution
A deployable drone system that maintains communication with the vehicle, extending the range of information gathering by detecting objects and conditions beyond the range of onboard sensors, allowing the vehicle to travel at higher speeds and improve navigation in areas with inadequate sensor coverage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the vehicle relies solely on onboard sensors for autonomous driving, then the system complexity is low, but the detection range is limited and the vehicle cannot detect objects beyond sensor range
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system is segmented into two independent parts: onboard sensors for immediate vicinity detection and a separate deployable drone for extended range detection. This segmentation allows the vehicle to achieve extended detection range without significantly increasing the complexity of the core vehicle system, as the drone operates as an independent but coordinated unit.
Solution Approach 2:
A communication system acts as an intermediary between the vehicle and the drone, enabling data exchange and coordinated operation. This intermediary layer manages the complexity by providing standardized interfaces and protocols, allowing the drone to extend detection range while maintaining manageable system integration.
2Productivity
If the vehicle travels at higher speeds, then productivity increases, but the ability to detect and respond to objects becomes compromised due to limited sensor range
Solution Approach 1:
The drone is deployed in advance of the vehicle to perform preliminary detection of objects and conditions at a distance. This preliminary action provides early warning of potential obstacles, allowing the vehicle to maintain higher speeds while having advance notice of objects that require attention, thus preserving both productivity and detection reliability.
3Length of stationary object
If additional sensors are added to extend detection range, then the detection range increases, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending detection range by adding more sensors in the same dimension (on the vehicle), the system transitions to another dimension by deploying a mobile drone unit. This dimensional shift allows extended range detection without proportionally increasing the number of fixed sensors on the vehicle, as the drone carries its own sensing capabilities independently.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure generally relates to an automotive drone deployment system that includes at least a vehicle and a deployable drone that is configured to attach and detach from the vehicle. More specifically, the disclosure describes the vehicle and drone remaining in communication with each other to exchange information while the vehicle is being operated in an autonomous driving mode so that the vehicle's performance under the autonomous driving mode is enhanced.