Autonomous Vehicle Launchpad Obstruction Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous vehicle technologies lack efficient, safe, and reliable methods for launching, landing, and re-launching vehicles, particularly requiring driver intervention for initial route steering, destination stopping, and restarting after maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising launchpads and landing pads equipped with sensors and a control subsystem that assesses obstruction-free zones using data from both vehicle and launchpad/landing pad sensors to permit autonomous movement, and a portable device for re-launching after stops, ensuring safe and reliable operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If autonomous vehicles operate without driver assistance, then automation level is improved, but safety and reliability deteriorate due to lack of human intervention for route steering and destination stopping
Solution Approach 1:
A control subsystem acts as an intermediary between the autonomous vehicle and the environment, coordinating sensor data from both the vehicle and launchpad/landing pad to make safe departure and arrival decisions. This intermediary layer enables automated operation while maintaining safety through systematic environmental assessment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary assessment of the launchpad and region in front of the vehicle using sensor data before permitting autonomous departure. Similarly, before allowing the vehicle to stop at a landing pad, the system预先 checks if the pad is free of obstructions. This preliminary action ensures safety decisions are made in advance, preventing unsafe autonomous operations.
2Reliability
If driver intervention is required for launching and landing, then safety is improved, but operational efficiency and productivity deteriorate due to manual control requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous vehicle performs self-assessment of its environment using its own sensors to detect obstructions in the region in front of it. The vehicle also receives obstruction information from launchpad sensors about its surroundings. This self-service capability eliminates the need for driver intervention in safety assessments, maintaining safety while improving operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The control subsystem receives feedback from multiple sources including vehicle sensors that observe the field-of-view and launchpad sensors that observe the launchpad area. This multi-source feedback mechanism provides comprehensive environmental awareness, enabling automated safety decisions without driver input, thus maintaining safety while improving productivity.
3Reliability
If comprehensive sensor assessment is performed before departure, then safety is improved, but system complexity and time consumption worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The assessment system is segmented into two independent but coordinated components: vehicle sensors that assess the region in front of the vehicle, and launchpad sensors that assess the launchpad area. The control subsystem processes these segmented assessments separately and combines them to make a departure decision. This segmentation reduces the complexity burden on any single sensor system while maintaining comprehensive safety assessment.
4Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are deployed to assess obstructions, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the detection capabilities of vehicle sensors and launchpad sensors into a unified obstruction assessment process. The control subsystem combines data from both sensor sources to determine whether the launchpad and region in front of the vehicle are clear. This merging approach achieves high measurement precision through multiple observation points while avoiding the complexity of a single overly complex sensor system.
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous vehicle (AV) includes at least one vehicle sensor that is configured, when the AV is stopped, to observe at least a first portion of a zone around the stopped AV. A portable device is operated by a user near the stopped AV. A control subsystem receives a communication from the portable device that includes information regarding whether a second portion of the zone around the AV is free of obstructions. The control subsystem receives AV sensor data from the at least one vehicle sensor. The control subsystem determines whether the first portion of the zone free of obstructions and whether the second portion of the zone is free of obstructions. If that both the first and second portions of the zone around the stopped AV are free of obstructions, the stopped AV is allowed to begin moving.