Autonomous Vehicle Route Planning Viability Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles may not be able to safely navigate certain road segments or geographic regions due to limitations in their sensor and software capabilities, which can be exacerbated by environmental conditions, leading to degraded or unreliable performance in route planning.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a route planning system that assesses the viability of road features based on the autonomous vehicle's sensor and software performance characteristics, excluding routes that cannot be safely navigated by determining the ability to generate data products at specified levels of performance, and utilizing data fusion, motion planning, decision-making, and motion control processes to identify and avoid unsafe road features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the routing algorithm selects routes based solely on road network information without considering autonomous vehicle capabilities, then route planning efficiency is improved, but navigation safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of road features against autonomous vehicle capabilities before final route selection. The viability assessment module evaluates whether the autonomous vehicle can safely navigate each road segment based on sensor performance and software capabilities, eliminating unsafe routes before they are presented to the rider.
Solution Approach 2:
A viability assessment module is introduced as an intermediary between the routing algorithm and the route presentation. This module acts as a filter that evaluates road features against autonomous vehicle capabilities, ensuring that only safely navigable routes are selected and presented to the rider.
2Reliability
If the system evaluates road features based on sensor and software performance characteristics, then navigation safety is improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The evaluation process is segmented into distinct modules: a viability assessment module that evaluates individual road features, and a route selection module that combines these assessments. Each road segment is evaluated independently based on specific criteria (sensor performance, software capabilities), allowing for modular and efficient computation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different evaluation criteria to different road features based on their specific characteristics. Each road segment is assessed according to its unique properties (curvature, slope, intersection complexity) and the autonomous vehicle's capabilities, rather than applying a uniform assessment to all routes.
3Ease of operation
If the routing algorithm considers only standard road network information, then data processing simplicity is maintained, but route safety for autonomous vehicles deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary enhancement of road network information by adding autonomous vehicle capability data and sensor performance characteristics before route evaluation. This enriched information set is prepared in advance, allowing the routing algorithm to consider safety-relevant factors without complicating the core routing logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The viability assessment module serves as an intermediary that processes standard road network information through the lens of autonomous vehicle capabilities. It translates conventional road data into safety assessments by comparing road features against sensor performance and software capabilities, maintaining simplicity in data processing while improving route safety.
Data Source
AI summary
Among other things, a determination is made of an ability of an autonomous vehicle to safely or robustly travel a road feature or a road segment or a route that is being considered for the autonomous vehicle as of a time or range of times. The root conforms to properties of stored road network information. The road feature or road segment or route is eliminated from consideration if the computer has determined that the road feature or road segment or route cannot be safely or robustly traveled by the autonomous vehicle. The determination by the computer is based on properties of the autonomous vehicle.