Motion Capture Calibration Checks for Vehicle Sensor Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The calibration of hardware components in autonomous vehicles degrades over time, leading to decreased safety and accuracy in object identification, as the physical position of sensors deviates from initial calibration specifications.
Innovation Solution
A signal processing system uses motion capture sensor data to determine the position of hardware components relative to reference points, compares this data to calibration thresholds, and generates hardware component alerts for recalibration, allowing for extrinsic calibration verification without dismounting the components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual recalibration is performed, then calibration accuracy can be restored, but the process is inefficient and requires dismounting components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical recalibration with an automated optical measurement system using motion capture cameras. The system captures 3D positions of calibration targets mounted on hardware components and automatically computes calibration parameters, eliminating the need for manual dismounting and repositioning of components while maintaining calibration accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses motion capture technology to create a digital copy of the physical hardware component positions. By tracking reflective markers or fiducial markers on components, the system generates accurate 3D position data that replicates the physical calibration state, enabling verification without physical intervention.
2Productivity
If motion capture sensors are used to track hardware component positions, then calibration verification becomes efficient and non-invasive, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces motion capture cameras and calibration targets as intermediary elements between the hardware components and the verification system. These intermediaries enable non-contact, automated position tracking by reflecting or emitting detectable signals that the cameras can capture and process into calibration data.
Solution Approach 2:
The motion capture system serves multiple functions: it tracks the positions of multiple hardware components simultaneously, verifies calibration for various sensor types (cameras, LIDAR, radar), and provides both quality control verification and calibration adjustment capabilities through a single integrated system.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are methods for using motion capture sensors to calibrate a component, which can include receiving motion capture sensor data associated with a motion capture sensor, the motion capture sensor data comprising at least a location of a motion capture marker and a location of a reference point on a vehicle, determining a position of a hardware component associated with the vehicle relative to the reference point on the vehicle based at least in part on the motion capture sensor data, determining the position of the hardware component does not satisfy a calibration threshold associated with the hardware component, determining a hardware component alert associated with the hardware component based at least in part on the determining that the position of the hardware component does not satisfy the calibration threshold associated with the hardware component, and routing the hardware component alert. Systems and computer program products are also provided.