Multi-Sensor Follower Vehicle Tracking in Harsh Visibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Follower vehicles face challenges in acquiring and tracking a leader due to environmental conditions like bright sunlight, darkness, and multiple potential targets, which can hinder the differentiation of the leader, especially with monolithic sensor systems.
Innovation Solution
A combination of two or more sensor technologies, including 3D radio imaging, wide field of view monocular imaging, and 3D optical imaging, are used to cooperatively track a leader, providing overlapping fields of view and enhancing the vehicle's ability to identify and follow the leader.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a monolithic sensor system is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of leader acquisition and tracking deteriorates under environmental conditions like bright sunlight, darkness, rain, and fog
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple different sensor types (e.g., optical cameras, radar, LIDAR, infrared sensors) into an integrated sensor system. Each sensor type detects different physical phenomena and is affected differently by environmental conditions, so their combined use ensures that at least some sensors can reliably detect the leader regardless of weather or lighting conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite sensing system that integrates multiple sensor technologies with different detection mechanisms. This composite approach allows the system to leverage the strengths of each sensor type (e.g., radar penetrates rain and fog, infrared works in darkness) to maintain reliable leader tracking across diverse environmental conditions.
2Reliability
If multiple sensor types are combined, then the reliability of leader tracking improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the sensor system with multi-functional capabilities where a single integrated system performs multiple detection functions simultaneously. The sensor array can detect the leader under various conditions (day/night, rain/fog) and provides redundant detection pathways, making the system universally effective across different environments without requiring separate dedicated systems for each condition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the sensing function into multiple independent sensor modules, each optimized for specific detection tasks or environmental conditions. This segmentation allows the system to process information from different sensor types through dedicated processing channels, managing complexity through modular architecture while maintaining reliable tracking through diverse detection capabilities.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensor types are used, then the ability to differentiate the leader from other targets improves, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces data fusion algorithms and processing intermediaries that integrate information from multiple sensor types. These intermediaries correlate detections across different sensor modalities, using the unique characteristics of each sensor (e.g., radar range accuracy, optical image detail, infrared thermal signature) to confidently identify and differentiate the leader from other targets in the environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors and adjusts its detection and tracking based on information from all sensor types. The processing system uses feedback from multiple sensing modalities to refine leader identification, cross-validate detections, and maintain precise differentiation even in complex environments with multiple potential targets.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a sensing system useful with a follower vehicle configured to track and follow a leader. The sensing system can include a plurality of sensing technologies configured to cooperatively track and follow the leader. In some embodiments, the plurality of sensing technologies can include one or more of a stereoscopic camera ranging system, a wide field of view monocular camera, and a radar imaging system, or other sensor technologies. In various embodiments, the vehicle can comprise a chassis, a drive mechanism supported by the chassis and arranged to drive a plurality of wheels, a body supported by the chassis and, optionally, an internal volume defined within the body. In some embodiments, the follower vehicle can be a two-wheeled mobile carrier, for example.