Autonomous Stop Control Using Flat Surface Safety Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous moving bodies, such as drones and vehicles, face challenges in safely stopping on suitable flat surfaces, as they may land on inclined or unsuitable areas, risking failure or collision.
Innovation Solution
A moving body equipped with a safety degree calculation unit and movement control unit that assesses the safety of flat surfaces based on sensor data, calculating a safety index to guide the movement to the safest stop location, using sensors like cameras and depth sensors to detect flat surfaces and estimate self-position, and controlling movement to ensure a stable stop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the moving body autonomously moves without using detailed safety assessment, then the movement is simpler and faster, but the stopping safety is reduced and may land on unsuitable surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of candidate stopping surfaces before finalizing the stopping decision. The safety degree calculation unit evaluates multiple candidate surfaces in advance, computing safety degrees based on surface characteristics detected by sensors. This preliminary action ensures that when the moving body needs to stop, it already has pre-evaluated safe options, improving stopping safety without requiring complex real-time decision-making
Solution Approach 2:
The moving body autonomously evaluates its own stopping options using its onboard sensors and calculation units. The sensor suite detects surface characteristics, the flat surface detection unit identifies candidate surfaces, and the safety degree calculation unit computes safety metrics - all self-performed without external intervention. This self-service capability enables reliable autonomous stopping while maintaining system independence
2Measurement precision
If the moving body uses simple flat surface detection, then the detection process is faster, but the accuracy of identifying suitable stopping surfaces is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The detection process is segmented into distinct functional units: sensor data acquisition, flat surface candidate detection, safety degree calculation, and stopping control. Each unit handles a specific aspect of the detection and decision-making process. This segmentation allows parallel processing of multiple candidate surfaces simultaneously, improving detection accuracy through comprehensive evaluation while managing time loss through efficient division of labor
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs excessive detection by evaluating multiple candidate surfaces beyond what a simple detection system would consider. Instead of selecting the first suitable surface found, it calculates safety degrees for multiple candidates and selects the optimal one. This partial or excessive action ensures higher detection accuracy by considering more options, while the automated calculation keeps the time penalty manageable
3Reliability
If the moving body evaluates multiple candidate stopping surfaces with safety degree calculation, then the stopping safety is improved, but the computational load and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The safety degree calculation focuses on local surface characteristics at candidate stopping positions rather than analyzing the entire environment. The sensor suite detects local surface properties (flatness, texture, inclination) at specific candidate points, and the calculation unit computes safety degrees based on these localized measurements. This local quality approach improves stopping safety through detailed local assessment while reducing computational energy consumption by avoiding global analysis
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a moving body, a control method, and a program that enable a safer stop. A safety degree calculation unit calculates a safety degree of a flat surface existing in an external environment on the basis of flat surface information regarding the flat surface, and a movement control unit controls movement to the flat surface on the basis of the calculated safety degree. The technology according to the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a moving body such as a drone.