Autonomous Work Machine Control for Camera Backlight Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous work machines face challenges in recognizing external world information due to complex image processing requirements and issues with sunlight interference, as existing technologies either ignore or eliminate sunlight-affected image data, or plan routes to avoid direct sunlight, but do not effectively control the machine to avoid backlighting.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous work machine equipped with cameras and an electronic control unit that determines if backlighting has occurred and controls the machine to stop and adjust its path to avoid backlighting, using a determination unit and control unit to assess image data and execute backlight avoidance maneuvers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If image processing is applied to correct lane marker position under backlighting conditions, then lane recognition accuracy is improved, but image processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of correcting the image when backlighting occurs, the invention inverts the approach by controlling the autonomous vehicle to avoid backlighting conditions. The system detects backlighting and adjusts travel direction or stops to prevent the camera from capturing images under backlighting conditions, thereby eliminating the need for complex correction processing.
2Measurement precision
If the autonomous work machine stops to avoid backlighting, then image capture accuracy is improved, but travel time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the autonomous vehicle's travel behavior based on real-time backlighting detection. Rather than always stopping, the control unit determines whether to stop, change direction, or continue based on the severity and persistence of backlighting conditions, optimizing the balance between image quality and travel efficiency.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
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AI summary
An autonomous work machine that includes a camera configured to capture an image of an external world, comprises a determination unit configured to determine, based on an image captured by the camera, whether backlighting has occurred, and a control unit configured to control, in a case in which the determination unit has determined that the backlighting has occurred, the autonomous work machine so as to avoid the backlighting.