Lidar Boresight Alignment Error Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle LIDAR systems face accuracy issues due to GPS signal degradation near large structures or in tunnels, leading to incorrect object positioning and vehicle localization, which affects autonomous driving operations.
Innovation Solution
A LIDAR-to-vehicle alignment system that uses an autonomous driving module to perform feature extraction, correct GPS locations based on ground-truth positions, and recalibrate the LIDAR sensor if alignment conditions are not met, incorporating inertial measurement data and principal component analysis to improve accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS signal is used for vehicle localization, then vehicle position can be obtained, but GPS signal degrades near large structures or in tunnels leading to incorrect positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses LIDAR data as an intermediary to bridge the gap when GPS fails. LIDAR detects features in the environment (buildings, terrain) and uses this information to calculate vehicle position and orientation, serving as a mediator that provides localization capability when the primary GPS system is unreliable or unavailable
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously compares LIDAR-detected feature positions with expected positions based on vehicle sensor data, and uses this feedback to correct localization errors. The alignment process provides ongoing feedback to adjust and refine the vehicle's estimated position and orientation
2Measurement precision
If LIDAR data is used for alignment correction, then localization accuracy improves, but system complexity increases due to feature extraction and alignment processes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-calibration and self-correction by automatically extracting features from LIDAR data, computing alignments, and adjusting localization parameters without external intervention. The autonomous driving module autonomously manages the complex alignment processes
Solution Approach 2:
The LIDAR system serves multiple functions: it detects environmental features for localization, provides alignment correction data, and validates vehicle sensor measurements. This multi-functionality justifies the system complexity by providing multiple benefits from a single sensor platform
3Measurement precision
If LIDAR sensor is recalibrated frequently, then alignment accuracy is maintained, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the recalibration frequency and intensity based on environmental conditions, GPS signal quality, and detected alignment drift. Rather than fixed frequent recalibration, the system adapts its correction schedule to maintain accuracy while minimizing processing overhead
Data Source
AI summary
A LIDAR-to-vehicle alignment system includes a memory and an autonomous driving module. The memory stores points of data provided based on an output of a LIDAR sensor and GPS locations. The autonomous driving module performs an alignment process including performing feature extraction on the points of data to detect one or more features of one or more predetermined types of objects having one or more predetermined characteristics. The features are determined to correspond to one or more targets because the features have the predetermined characteristics. One or more of the GPS locations are of the targets. The alignment process further includes: determining ground-truth positions of the features; correcting the GPS locations based on the ground-truth positions; calculating a LIDAR-to-vehicle transform based on the corrected GPS locations; and based on results of the alignment process, determining whether one or more alignment conditions are satisfied.