Autonomous Vehicle Controller Virtual Region Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional collision-avoidance systems for autonomously driven vehicles are ineffective in narrow lanes, as they cannot maintain a safe distance from pedestrians and may impede passage of other vehicles, especially when the maximum separation distance cannot be maintained.
Innovation Solution
A controller that detects obstacles using sensors and sets a virtual region around the vehicle, adjusting its length and width based on the presence of obstacles, vehicle speed, and lane width to ensure safe passage without hindering other vehicles, and modifies the virtual region shape according to the vehicle's steering angle and traffic rules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle maintains a maximum separation distance from obstacles in narrow lanes, then safety is improved, but passage of other vehicles is impeded
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual region's length in the direction of travel is dynamically adjusted based on the vehicle's stopping state. When the vehicle is stopped for a predetermined time or longer, the length is reduced to allow other vehicles to pass, while when moving, the full length is maintained for safety. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between maintaining safety distance and allowing passage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of the virtual region's length based on the vehicle's operational state (moving vs. stopped). By modifying this spatial parameter according to real-time conditions, the system achieves both safety when moving and passage facilitation when stopped, resolving the technical contradiction.
2Reliability
If the vehicle stops when obstacles are detected within the virtual region, then collision avoidance is improved, but traffic flow is impeded in narrow lanes
Solution Approach 1:
The stopping decision is made dynamic based on the vehicle's current state. The system distinguishes between moving and stopped states, and only maintains the full virtual region length (causing stop) when the vehicle is moving. When already stopped for a predetermined time, the adjusted shorter length is used, allowing passage without additional stopping, thus maintaining traffic flow while preserving collision avoidance capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the vehicle's stopping state to adjust the virtual region length. By continuously monitoring whether the vehicle is stopped for a predetermined time or longer, the system adjusts its behavior accordingly, resolving the contradiction between collision avoidance and traffic flow maintenance.
3Productivity
If the virtual region length is reduced when vehicle is stopped for predetermined time, then passage of other vehicles is improved, but safety distance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual region length is dynamically adjusted based on the vehicle's stopping state. When stopped for a predetermined time or longer, the length is reduced to facilitate passage of other vehicles. When the vehicle is moving or stopped for a shorter duration, the full length is maintained to ensure safety distance. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between facilitating passage and maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the spatial parameter of the virtual region's length based on operational conditions. By modifying this parameter according to whether the vehicle is in a prolonged stopped state or moving state, the system achieves both passage facilitation and safety maintenance, resolving the technical contradiction.
Data Source
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AI summary
A controller that controls driving of an autonomously moving vehicle includes a first sensor that detects an obstacle and a direction of travel of the vehicle, and a processor that sets a virtual region surrounding the vehicle. Processor stops the vehicle when the obstacle is detected therein, determines whether the obstacle is present in the direction of travel, determines whether the vehicle has been stopped for a predetermined amount of time when the obstacle is present, reduces a length of the virtual region in the direction of travel to provide an adjusted virtual region when the vehicle is determined to have been stopped for the predetermined amount of time, causes the vehicle to drive when the obstacle is not detected within the adjusted virtual region, and stops the vehicle when the obstacle is detected within the adjusted virtual region.