Streetlight Awareness Network for Beyond-Line-of-Sight Hazard Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face limitations in detecting and reacting to hazards outside their line of sight, leading to potential accidents and injuries, as they currently operate at lower levels of autonomy and struggle with sensing objects beyond a predetermined area.
Innovation Solution
A streetlight situational awareness system (SSAS) is developed, incorporating a camera, lamp array, positioning system, and communication network with both intranet and extranet capabilities, allowing object detection and tracking, and alerting vehicles to hazards both within and outside their direct line of sight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If autonomous vehicles use only onboard sensors for hazard detection, then the vehicle's processing load is reduced, but the detection range is limited to the vehicle's line of sight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces streetlights as intermediary devices equipped with cameras and sensors that act as remote observation points. These streetlights detect hazards and transmit information to autonomous vehicles, extending the detection range beyond the vehicle's own sensors while keeping the vehicle's onboard system relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-vehicle detection model to a multi-point detection network using streetlights positioned at various locations along the road. This creates a distributed sensing architecture that covers areas outside the vehicle's direct line of sight, effectively adding spatial dimensions to the detection capability.
2Reliability
If autonomous vehicles expand sensing coverage beyond line of sight, then accident prevention improves, but system complexity and communication requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The streetlights in the patent serve multiple functions: they provide illumination, act as detection stations with cameras and sensors, and function as communication nodes in the network. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated infrastructure and lowers overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The streetlights autonomously perform detection and monitoring tasks, processing visual data locally and transmitting only relevant hazard information to vehicles. This self-service capability reduces the communication burden and allows the system to scale without proportionally increasing communication infrastructure complexity.
3Area of stationary object
If streetlight modules are added to existing streetlights, then detection coverage is expanded, but manufacturing and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system is segmented into modular streetlight modules that can be independently installed on existing streetlights. Each module contains its own camera, processor, and communication capabilities, allowing for incremental deployment and simplifying both manufacturing and installation processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A streetlight situational awareness system (SSAS) includes streetlight modules integrated into streetlights. Each module includes a camera configured to detect objects within a predetermined zone along a road. The awareness module includes a lamp array configured to illuminate an area around the streetlight. The system includes a communication network configured to share data about objects within the zone with nearby vehicles and/or neighboring streetlight modules.