Side Mirror Camera Assembly for Vibration-Stable 180° Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles, particularly semi-trailer trucks, face challenges in maintaining effective sensor systems due to high vibration and shock forces, which degrade sensor data, and the trailer obstructs rearward visibility, creating blind spots that require innovative sensor placement and rigidity to ensure uninterrupted fields of view and precise object detection.
Innovation Solution
The sensor assembly includes a side mirror assembly with strategically oriented cameras and sensors, such as cameras, lidars, and radars, mounted on a rigid structure that projects outward from the vehicle, providing an uninterrupted 180° field of view and incorporating an arm assembly for attachment to the A-pillar, ensuring robustness and fault tolerance against vibrations and blind spots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If cameras and sensors are mounted on a rigid structure projecting outward from the vehicle, then the field of view is uninterrupted and object detection is improved, but the sensor assembly is exposed to high vibration and shock forces that degrade sensor data
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor assembly is segmented into multiple independent camera units (first camera, second camera, third camera) mounted on separate rigid structures. Each camera captures a specific portion of the field of view, and the segmentation allows each sensor to be independently positioned and stabilized, reducing the impact of vibrations on overall system performance while maintaining comprehensive coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor assembly extends into three-dimensional space by projecting outward from the vehicle body through rigid support structures. This spatial extension places sensors in multiple dimensions (forward, sideways, rearward directions), enabling uninterrupted 180° field of view coverage while positioning sensors away from the high-vibration zone near the engine compartment
2Reliability
If multiple cameras are strategically oriented to provide uninterrupted 180° field of view, then blind spots are eliminated, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple camera functions are merged into a single integrated sensor assembly unit that is mounted together on the vehicle. The first camera, second camera, and third camera are combined in one structure with coordinated orientations, eliminating blind spots through their collectively uninterrupted 180° field of view while simplifying installation and maintenance compared to separate distributed sensors
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: the first camera captures forward views, the second camera captures sideways views, and the third camera captures rearward views. This multi-functional design provides comprehensive surveillance coverage and eliminates blind spots while using a single integrated mounting structure rather than multiple separate systems
3Area of stationary object
If the sensor assembly projects outward from the vehicle on a rigid structure, then the field of view is enhanced, but the assembly becomes more vulnerable to damage from vibrations and shocks
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid support structures are pre-engineered with appropriate length and orientation before installation to achieve the desired field of view coverage. The cameras are pre-oriented at specific angles (e.g., second camera oriented sideways, third camera oriented rearward) to ensure uninterrupted coverage, allowing the assembly to be installed as a complete functional unit that maximizes field of view while maintaining structural integrity
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
A sensor assembly for autonomous vehicles includes a side mirror assembly configured to mount to a vehicle. The side mirror assembly includes a first camera having a field of view in a direction opposite a direction of forward travel of the vehicle; a second camera having a field of view in the direction of forward travel of the vehicle; and a third camera having a field of view in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of forward travel of the vehicle. The first camera, the second camera, and the third camera are oriented to provide, in combination with a fourth camera configured to be mounted on a roof of the vehicle, an uninterrupted camera field of view from the direction of forward travel of the vehicle to a direction opposite the direction of forward travel of the vehicle.