Multi-Sensor Target Panels for AV Sensor Testing in Adverse Weather
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicle sensors, such as LiDAR, camera, and RADAR sensors, face challenges in testing under varying weather conditions, as lab simulations are impractical due to equipment costs and space requirements, and real-world testing is hindered by unpredictable weather and lack of control.
Innovation Solution
A mobile test station equipped with various sensors and a configurable sensor target that can be easily transported to different locations, allowing for simultaneous data collection from AV sensors and weather conditions, enabling reliable testing of AV sensors in adverse weather.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lab simulations are used to test AV sensors, then testing can be controlled, but equipment costs and space requirements become impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a portable target that replicates real-world objects (such as vehicles or pedestrians) with specific reflective and visual properties. This copy allows sensor testing without requiring expensive lab simulations, achieving controlled testing conditions through a simplified physical representation rather than full-scale environmental simulation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential testing function from complex lab simulations by using a standalone portable target that can be deployed in real-world environments. This separates the target object from the vehicle being tested, allowing the target to be independently positioned and configured without requiring the entire testing system to be contained in a controlled facility
2Adaptability or versatility
If real-world testing is used to test AV sensors, then testing locations are flexible, but weather conditions are unpredictable and lack control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a portable target that can be dynamically deployed and repositioned in various real-world locations. The target's portability allows the testing system to adapt to different environments (urban, rural, highway) while maintaining consistent testing capabilities, making the system both location-flexible and condition-controllable
Solution Approach 2:
The portable target serves as an intermediary between the sensor system and the environment. It provides a known, controllable reference object that mediates the interaction between sensors and varying weather conditions, allowing researchers to distinguish between sensor performance and environmental effects
3Ease of operation
If traditional sensor targets are used, then setup is simple, but they lack multi-sensor modality support for comprehensive evaluation
Solution Approach 1:
The portable target is designed with multi-functional properties to support multiple sensor modalities simultaneously. It incorporates features that make it detectable by LiDAR (reflective surfaces), cameras (visual patterns and colors), and other sensors, all within a single unified structure. This universal design allows one target to comprehensively evaluate different sensor types without requiring separate targets for each modality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple sensor-targeting features into a single integrated portable target structure. Elements such as reflective materials, visual patterns, and geometric features are merged into one cohesive object that can be detected and evaluated by various sensor types simultaneously, simplifying the testing setup while enhancing versatility
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables reliable and efficient testing of AV sensors in varying weather conditions, providing accurate data for calibration and optimization of AV perception systems, improving their performance and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a first set of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) return signals corresponding to a sensor target. The LiDAR device transmits a plurality of LiDAR beams toward the sensor target
Implementation Method 2
a first set of images of the sensor target captured by a camera sensor
Implementation Method 3
a first set of Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR) return signals corresponding to the sensor target. The RADAR device transmits a plurality of RADAR signals toward the sensor target
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and techniques are provided for using a multi-sensor modality target to evaluate autonomous vehicle sensors. An example method can include identifying a sensor target panel based on a first set of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) return signals corresponding to at least one retroreflective panel associated with the sensor target panel. In some aspects, the method can include transmitting a plurality of LiDAR beams directed toward the sensor target panel, wherein the sensor target panel includes a first sensor target region that is associated with a first reflectivity value and a second sensor target region that is associated with a second reflectivity value. In some cases, the method can include determining one or more LiDAR parameters based on a second set of LiDAR return signals corresponding to the sensor target panel.