Lane Connector Width Constraints for Autonomous Lane Change Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in planning and controlling lane changes due to limited spatial constraints, which can lead to abrupt maneuvers, especially when encountering pedestrians or obstacles, as existing systems lack flexibility in determining available lateral distances for maneuvering.
Innovation Solution
A lateral width lookup table is used to provide spatial constraints for lanes and lane connectors, allowing the vehicle to query and determine available lateral distances, thereby enabling more flexible and precise trajectory planning and control, including handling obstacles like pedestrians.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional lane change planning is used without spatial constraints, then the vehicle can maintain simple control logic, but the lane changes become abrupt and unsafe when encountering obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates and stores spatial constraints for lane connectors in a lookup table before actual lane change execution. This preliminary action provides ready-to-use spatial boundary information when obstacles are detected, enabling safe trajectory adjustment without complex real-time calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
A spatial constraint lookup table is introduced as an intermediary data structure between the obstacle detection system and the trajectory planning system. This lookup table stores pre-computed lateral width constraints for different lane connector positions, mediating the interaction between obstacle detection and safe trajectory generation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If fixed lateral width constraints are used for lane changes, then the control system is simple to implement, but the vehicle lacks flexibility in maneuvering around obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from fixed lateral width constraints to dynamic spatial constraints by implementing a lookup table that provides varying lateral width boundaries based on the vehicle's position within lane connectors. This dynamic approach allows the vehicle to adapt its trajectory to the specific geometric characteristics of each lane connector segment.
Solution Approach 2:
The lateral width parameter is changed from a fixed constant to a position-dependent variable. The lookup table stores different lateral width values corresponding to different longitudinal positions within lane connectors, allowing the spatial constraints to change dynamically as the vehicle progresses through the lane change maneuver.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If abrupt lane changes are performed to maintain simple control, then the control system remains simple, but the vehicle cannot safely handle pedestrians or obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
Spatial constraint boundaries are pre-calculated and stored in the lookup table before lane change execution. When obstacles are detected, the planning system can immediately query the lookup table for safe trajectory boundaries without complex real-time geometric calculations, maintaining control simplicity while ensuring safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The lookup table acts as an intermediary that translates complex spatial geometry into simple queryable constraints. This allows the control system to maintain simplicity while incorporating detailed spatial information about lane connector geometries for safe obstacle avoidance.
Data Source
AI summary
Among other things, systems and techniques are described for planning and control of a vehicle. A described technique includes obtaining a lateral width lookup table associated with a map of a geographic region, the map including information identifying lanes and lane connectors on which a vehicle can travel in the geographic region, the lookup table including lateral widths associated with the lanes and the lane connectors; determining a list of at least one lane or lane connector in at least one path of the vehicle; querying the lookup table to obtain at least one lateral width corresponding to the at least one lane or lane connector; generating spatial constraints for the at least one lane or lane connector based on the at least one lateral width; generating trajectories based on the list and the spatial constraints; and causing the vehicle to move along a selected trajectory of the trajectories.