Trailer Connector Pose Sensing for Precise Autonomous Truck Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous trucks face challenges in precisely measuring the pose of trailers due to limited sensors available on the truck, which are not directly mounted on the trailer, leading to inefficiencies in perception, planning, and control.
Innovation Solution
A trailer pose sensor is mounted at the physical connection points between the autonomous truck and trailer, utilizing modalities like IMU, camera, or LiDAR, with power and data transmission via conductors or wireless channels, enabling precise measurement of trailer motion and pose.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors are mounted on the truck to measure trailer pose, then the system can detect trailer position and attitude, but the measurement precision is insufficient because the sensors are not directly coupled to the trailer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a trailer pose sensor as an intermediary device that couples to the trailer connector on the trailer. This sensor acts as a mediator between the trailer and the autonomy computing system, directly measuring trailer pose parameters (position, attitude, motion) at the point of connection. By placing the sensor on the trailer rather than the truck, it provides accurate measurements of actual trailer motion without requiring complex sensor arrays on the truck.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are added to improve trailer pose detection, then measurement accuracy improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The trailer pose sensor is designed as a multi-functional device that simultaneously measures multiple trailer parameters including position, attitude (orientation), and motion (velocity/acceleration). This single sensor replaces what would otherwise require multiple separate sensors, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive trailer pose detection capability.
3Reliability
If sensors are placed on the trailer, then direct trailer motion measurement is achieved, but the connector and sensor assembly becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the trailer pose sensor with the trailer connector into an integrated assembly. The sensor is mounted on or integrated with the connector structure, merging two previously separate components (connector and sensor) into a single unified device. This integration reduces the number of separate parts, simplifies installation, and ensures the sensor moves with the connector to maintain accurate trailer pose measurement.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, the disclosed system for measuring a pose of a trailer connected to an autonomous truck includes a trailer pose sensor and an autonomy computing system. The sensor is coupled to a connector configured to rigidly mate with a trailer connector on the trailer. The sensor is configured to detect a motion of the trailer. The autonomy computing system is communicatively coupled to the sensor. The autonomy computing system includes a processor coupled to a memory, the memory storing executable instructions that, upon execution by the processor, configure the processor to: compute a first pose of the trailer and store in the memory, receive a first measurement of the motion from the sensor, compute a second pose based at least in part on the first measurement received from the sensor and the first pose, and store the second pose in the memory.