Sequential Sensor Cleaning for Autonomous Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicle sensors face degradation due to precipitation, debris, and contaminants, which affect their ability to collect accurate data, leading to impaired navigation and safety.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that determines a sensor cleaning sequence based on data indicative of sensor conditions, using sensor cleaning units such as gas-based, liquid-based, or wiper devices to sequentially clean sensors, ensuring optimal performance and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all sensors are cleaned simultaneously, then all sensors are maintained at optimal performance, but the cleaning system complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system divides sensors into multiple groups and cleans them in sequential batches rather than simultaneously. The controller manages multiple cleaning cycles, each targeting a specific group of sensors, thereby reducing the complexity of coordinating all cleaning operations at once while maintaining overall sensor performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic cleaning cycles where different sensor groups are cleaned at different time intervals. This staggered periodic approach allows the cleaning system to manage multiple sensors without requiring all cleaning resources to operate simultaneously, reducing system complexity while ensuring all sensors receive regular maintenance.
2Measurement precision
If cleaning is performed continuously on all sensors, then sensor data quality is consistently maintained, but energy consumption and operational time are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs cleaning on only the necessary subset of sensors at any given time rather than continuously cleaning all sensors. By identifying which sensor groups require cleaning based on operational needs and contaminant levels, the system achieves sufficient data quality maintenance while reducing overall energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous cleaning, the system uses periodic cleaning cycles with intervals between cleaning operations. This allows sensors to operate between cleaning cycles, reducing energy consumption while still maintaining acceptable data quality through regular but not continuous maintenance.
3Use of energy by moving object
If sensor cleaning is delayed, then energy consumption is reduced, but sensor data quality and vehicle safety are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments sensors into priority groups and cleans high-priority sensors more frequently than low-priority ones. This selective approach ensures that critical sensors maintaining vehicle safety receive timely cleaning while reducing the frequency of cleaning for less critical sensors, thereby balancing energy consumption with safety requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller monitors sensor conditions and cleaning needs, using this feedback to determine when and which sensors require cleaning. This feedback mechanism allows the system to delay cleaning only when it is safe to do so, while triggering cleaning operations when sensor quality degradation would impact vehicle safety, thus optimizing energy use without compromising safety.
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
The system effectively removes precipitation and debris from sensors, enhancing data quality and autonomous vehicle performance, improving safety, efficiency, and passenger comfort by prioritizing cleaning based on sensor conditions and environmental factors.
Implementation Method 1
a gas-based cleaning unit configured to remove the precipitation and/or debris from the plurality of sensors using the pressurized gas
Implementation Method 2
a liquid-based cleaning unit configured to remove the precipitation and/or debris from the plurality of sensors using the pressurized liquid
Implementation Method 3
a wiper device configured to remove the precipitation and/or debris from the plurality of sensors
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for cleaning one or more sensors on an autonomous vehicle according to a sensor cleaning system are provided. A method can include obtaining, by a computing system comprising one or more computing devices, data indicative of a sensor condition for the autonomous vehicle. The method can further include determining, by the computing system, a sensor cleaning sequence for one or more sensor cleaning units of the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the data indicative of the sensor condition. The one or more sensor cleaning units can be configured to respectively clean one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle. The method can further include controlling, by the computing system, the one or more sensor cleaning units to sequentially clean the one or more sensors based at least in part on the sensor cleaning sequence.