Autonomous Vehicle Sensor Control System for Alignment and Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in maintaining sensor accuracy and alignment due to environmental factors like contamination and misalignment, which can affect navigation and operation efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A sensor control system that monitors parameters associated with multiple sensors on an autonomous vehicle, implementing control actions such as cleaning, alignment adjustments, and compensation factors when changes exceed predetermined thresholds, ensuring sensor quality and precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensors are continuously monitored and controlled to maintain accuracy, then sensor reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by proactively monitoring sensor parameters and implementing control actions (cleaning, alignment adjustments) before sensor degradation affects autonomous vehicle operation. The computing system continuously compares monitored parameters against threshold values and executes preventive maintenance tasks, ensuring sensors remain within optimal performance ranges before failures occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops by monitoring sensor parameters (contamination levels, alignment deviations) and comparing them against predetermined thresholds. When parameters exceed thresholds, the system generates control actions that feed back to the sensor system, creating a closed-loop control mechanism that automatically maintains sensor reliability without human intervention.
2Measurement precision
If sensor control actions are implemented to maintain precision, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time occurs due to cleaning and alignment operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic monitoring of sensor parameters at predetermined intervals, comparing measurements against threshold values. Control actions such as cleaning and alignment adjustments are executed periodically only when needed, rather than continuously, thereby maintaining measurement precision while minimizing time loss through targeted, interval-based maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous vehicle's sensor system performs self-service through automated monitoring and control actions. The computing system automatically detects when sensors require maintenance based on monitored parameters and executes cleaning or alignment operations without human intervention, reducing the time penalty associated with manual sensor maintenance while preserving measurement precision.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are monitored and controlled, then navigation accuracy is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by monitoring and controlling each sensor individually based on its specific performance parameters and threshold values. Rather than uniformly processing all sensors, the computing system selectively implements control actions only for sensors that exceed their predetermined thresholds, optimizing energy consumption while maintaining navigation accuracy through targeted, sensor-specific maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial action by monitoring all sensor parameters but executing control actions only for the subset of sensors that require maintenance. By comparing each sensor's monitored parameters against thresholds and applying control actions selectively rather than universally, the system maintains navigation accuracy across multiple sensors while minimizing the energy consumption associated with comprehensive sensor control operations.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for controlling a sensor system. More particularly, a sensor control system can access respective first data and second data descriptive of one or more monitored parameters associated with a first sensor of an autonomous vehicle. Based on the first data and the second data, the sensor control system can determine that a change in the one or more monitored parameters between the first sensor and the one or more second sensors has exceeded a predetermined threshold level. In response, the sensor control system can implement a control action relative to at least the first sensor (e.g., initiating cleaning of the first sensor, adjusting alignment of the first sensor, determining a compensation factor for the first data received from the first sensor, or communicating a signal request for service of the first sensor).