Sensor Lamp Unit Vertical Alignment for Sensor Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
In automatic drive vehicles, the placement of cameras and lidars at different positions results in significantly differing fields of view, making it difficult to integrate or complement their detected information effectively, and simply placing them closer narrows their fields of view.
Innovation Solution
A sensor lamp unit is designed with a camera and lidar placed in an up-and-down alignment on the outer surface of the vehicle's side walls, integrated with a turn lamp, allowing for the integration and complementary use of their data for obstacle detection without significantly affecting each other's horizontal field of view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the camera and lidar are provided at different positions, then the vehicle can be equipped with multiple sensor devices, but the fields of view of the camera and lidar significantly differ from each other, making it difficult to integrate or complement their detected information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the camera and lidar into a single integrated sensor device unit. The camera and lidar are positioned adjacent to each other within the same housing structure, allowing them to share a common field of view and detection area. This merging enables effective integration and complementary use of detection information from both sensor types, resolving the information loss issue while maintaining the benefit of having multiple sensor devices.
2Loss of information
If the camera and lidar are placed close to each other, then their detected information can be integrated more effectively, but the fields of view of the camera and lidar are narrowed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the camera and lidar in an up-and-down direction (vertical dimension) rather than side-by-side in the horizontal plane. This vertical stacking allows the sensors to be close enough for effective data integration while maintaining their horizontal field of view. The different vertical positions enable each sensor to capture information from slightly different angles, complementing each other without significant narrowing of the overall field of view.
3Reliability
If the camera and lidar are placed at different positions, then each sensor can maintain its optimal field of view, but the detected information cannot be used in an integrated or complementary manner
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the camera and lidar into a single integrated unit with a unified housing structure. This consolidation simplifies the overall device placement on the vehicle while maintaining the reliability of field of view coverage. The integrated design ensures both sensors work together harmoniously with coordinated detection areas, reducing the complexity of managing separate sensor placements and their respective fields of view.
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
This configuration enables the camera and lidar to capture obstacles from approximately the same angle, allowing for improved resolution and safety features like precise imaging of the road and passengers, while compensating for the lower temporal and spatial resolutions of the lidar and camera data.
Implementation Method 1
a passive type sensor device that detects an electromagnetic wave from outside and that acquires image data
Implementation Method 2
an active type sensor device that detects a reflected wave of an electromagnetic wave which is irradiated, and that acquires detection data
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor lamp unit is attached to an automatic drive vehicle. The sensor lamp unit includes a turn lamp portion in which a turn lamp is built in, a lidar portion in which a lidar which is an active type sensor device is built in, and a camera portion in which a camera which is a passive type sensor device is built in. The turn lamp portion, the lidar portion, and the camera portion are aligned in an up-and-down direction. The sensor lamp unit is attached on left and right side walls of the automatic drive vehicle, in an outward orientation.