Autonomous Vehicle Trajectory Shaping for Motion Sickness Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles often cause motion sickness in passengers due to the frequency, level, and direction of external accelerations, as well as a lack of anticipation of maneuvers, with existing control methods focusing on time optimality rather than passenger comfort.
Innovation Solution
The invention controls the trajectory and speed of autonomous vehicles by managing lateral accelerations and jerk through a supervisory control module, using GPS, map data, and sensor inputs to generate a trajectory with low lateral acceleration and smooth curvature, minimizing passenger discomfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If time optimal paths are used for autonomous vehicle control, then travel time is reduced, but passenger comfort deteriorates due to motion sickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the optimization parameter from time to passenger comfort by adjusting trajectory parameters (curvature, acceleration, jerk) to minimize motion sickness. The supervisory control module modifies the trajectory parameters to ensure smooth transitions and align forces vertically, transforming the control objective from speed optimization to comfort optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts trajectory parameters based on real-time vehicle state and environmental conditions. The supervisory control module continuously monitors and modifies the trajectory to maintain optimal comfort levels, making the control system adaptive rather than static.
2Device complexity
If constant curvature turns are used for autonomous vehicle navigation, then path simplicity is improved, but passenger comfort deteriorates due to unnatural maneuvering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the curvature parameter from constant to variable along the trajectory. The supervisory control module adjusts curvature dynamically to match natural human driving patterns, creating smooth transitions that reduce lateral acceleration and improve passenger comfort while maintaining reasonable path complexity.
3Productivity
If lateral accelerations are increased for faster maneuvering, then productivity is improved, but passenger comfort deteriorates due to motion sickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the acceleration profile from aggressive to smooth by adjusting the rate of change of acceleration (jerk). The supervisory control module limits lateral acceleration and its rate of change to keep forces within comfortable ranges, reducing motion sickness while maintaining acceptable maneuvering speeds through optimized trajectory parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic adjustments to acceleration and jerk to smooth out maneuvers. By controlling the frequency and amplitude of acceleration changes, the system maintains productivity while keeping the motion patterns within comfort thresholds that prevent motion sickness.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for controlling a direction and speed of travel an autonomous vehicle or driver assisted autonomous vehicle (AV). A GPS and map module receive a start location and a destination location for the AV. A plurality of sensors identify a current and a proposed lane for the AV. A database of AV baseline maneuver profiles used to control one or more of direction and speed of travel of the AV is provided. A trajectory profile generator module generates a planned path for the AV with lateral acceleration less than 2 Hz, based on the start location, the destination location, the current and proposed lane for the AV, and a selected AV baseline maneuver profile from the database. A steering control module controls the direction of travel of the AV based on the generated AV planned path, and a supervisory control module controls the speed of the AV based on the generated AV planned path and inner ear constraints.