Sensing Device Field of View Alignment on Curved Roads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in maintaining the alignment of their sensing devices' field of view with the area of interest due to terrain and road conditions, such as hills and potholes, which can disrupt the planned path and real-time movement.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize a processor to receive the current position of the autonomous vehicle, retrieve map information about the pitch and curvature of the roadway, determine the planned pitch and roll of the vehicle, and generate control signals to actuators to adjust the sensing device's position, ensuring its field of view remains aligned with the area of interest by moving it accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sensing device field of view is fixed relative to the vehicle body, then the device structure is simple, but the field of view cannot maintain alignment with the area of interest when the vehicle encounters terrain variations or road conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system retrieves map information about pitch and curvature of the roadway in advance, determines the planned pitch and roll of the autonomous vehicle before actual movement occurs, and pre-calculates the required sensing device adjustment. This preliminary action allows the control system to anticipate terrain variations and proactively maintain field of view alignment, resolving the contradiction between alignment accuracy and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously receives the current position of the autonomous vehicle, compares it with the planned path, and uses the difference to generate real-time control signals for the sensing device. This feedback mechanism ensures the field of view remains aligned with the area of interest despite vehicle movement or terrain variations, achieving high alignment accuracy through dynamic adjustment.
2Measurement precision
If the sensing device is moved to maintain field of view alignment, then the alignment accuracy is improved, but the system complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system determines the planned pitch and roll of the autonomous vehicle in advance based on map information before the vehicle actually encounters the terrain variation. This allows the control system to pre-calculate the exact adjustment needed for the sensing device, achieving precise field of view alignment while minimizing real-time computational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system automatically generates control signals for the sensing device based on the determined amount of movement, without requiring manual intervention. The system self-adjusts the sensing device position to maintain alignment, reducing operational complexity while maintaining high measurement precision.
3Reliability
If real-time control signals are generated to adjust the sensing device, then the field of view alignment is maintained during vehicle movement, but the processing time and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system determines the planned pitch and roll based on pre-retrieved map information before the vehicle encounters terrain variations. By performing this calculation in advance rather than in real-time during vehicle movement, the system reduces processing time while maintaining the ability to generate accurate control signals for sensing device adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the sensing device position based on the difference between current and planned vehicle positions. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain alignment reliability while optimizing processing time by only calculating adjustments when necessary, rather than continuously processing at maximum rate.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and method are provided for controlling a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving a current position of the vehicle along a determined path; retrieving map information that includes a pitch and a curvature of a roadway at or near the current position; determining, based on the map information, a planned pitch and a planned roll of the vehicle at or near the current position; determining, based on the planned pitch and the planned roll, a location of the field of view of the sensing device; determining, based on the location of the field of view and a location of an area of interest, an amount of movement of the sensing device to align the field of view with the area of interest; and generating, one or more control signals to one or more actuators associated with the sensing device based on the determined amount of movement.