Visual Gesture Authentication for Autonomous Traffic Direction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles lack the ability to interpret and respond to manual traffic direction gestures from public safety officers, such as hand signals, due to the absence of human drivers, which can lead to confusion and safety issues during incidents or when traffic lights malfunction.
Innovation Solution
A visual notification device worn by traffic directors that detects user gestures using movement detectors and combines them with authentication data to provide a validated visual indication to autonomous vehicles, allowing them to perform actions associated with the gestures upon verification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual traffic direction gestures are used by public safety officers, then human drivers can understand and respond to the gestures, but autonomous vehicles cannot interpret and respond to these gestures
Solution Approach 1:
A visual notification device serves as an intermediary between the traffic director and autonomous vehicles. The device detects gestures made by the traffic director and translates them into visual notifications that autonomous vehicles can interpret, enabling communication without requiring the autonomous vehicle to directly understand human gestures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/human-based gesture interpretation system with an electronic detection and notification system. Movement detectors and visual notification devices substitute for human visual and cognitive processing, allowing autonomous vehicles to receive standardized digital signals instead of interpreting physical gestures.
2Productivity
If autonomous vehicles are deployed without human drivers, then productivity and response time improve, but the ability to interpret manual traffic control gestures is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The visual notification device creates a digital copy of the traffic director's gestures through movement detection and translates them into standardized visual signals. This copying process preserves the intent of manual gestures while converting them into a format suitable for autonomous vehicle interpretation, maintaining ease of operation without requiring human drivers.
3Reliability
If visual notification devices with authentication are used, then communication security and accuracy improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into integrated components. The visual notification device merges gesture detection, authentication verification, and visual signal generation into a single unified system. This consolidation reduces overall system complexity while maintaining security and reliability, as the components work together rather than as separate isolated elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A device, system and method for controlling autonomous vehicles using a visual notification device. A movement detector is used to detect a user gesture of a user. A controller in communication with the movement detector is used to control a visual notification device to provide a visual indication of the user gesture combined with authentication data stored at a memory, to visually instruct the autonomous vehicle to perform an action associated with the user gesture upon verification of the authentication data.