Turn Difficulty Calculation Using Overhead Satellite Imagery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for generating navigation routes for large vehicles, such as semi-trailer trucks, are inadequate as they fail to accurately assess the feasibility of road turns due to the vehicles' large turning footprint, leading to potential safety issues and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves obtaining an overhead image of a road intersection, predicting the vehicle's footprint using the image, analyzing the footprint to calculate distances associated with the turn, and calculating a turn difficulty value based on these distances, which takes into account the vehicle's characteristics and the interior shape of the turn.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional navigation routing methods are used for large vehicles, then route generation is simple and quick, but the vehicle cannot safely navigate certain sharp turns due to large turning footprint
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of turn feasibility by calculating the vehicle's turning footprint and comparing it with the road geometry before finalizing the route. This advance assessment prevents unsafe turns from being included in the navigation path, ensuring reliability without adding operational complexity during actual driving.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy or model of the vehicle's turning footprint and overlays it with the road geometry to assess turn feasibility. This computational model allows the system to evaluate multiple turning scenarios without physical trial, maintaining simplicity while improving safety assessment accuracy.
2Reliability
If the vehicle makes wider turns to compensate for large turning footprint, then the vehicle can navigate turns safely, but the turn time and distance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts turning parameters such as steering angle, speed, and trajectory based on the calculated footprint analysis. By optimizing these parameters, the vehicle can execute turns safely while minimizing the time and distance required, rather than always making excessively wide turns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic route adjustment where the navigation system continuously monitors the vehicle's position and adjusts the turning path in real-time based on the pre-calculated footprint. This allows the vehicle to take the most efficient safe turn rather than following a static, overly conservative path.
3Measurement precision
If detailed footprint analysis is performed to accurately assess turn feasibility, then turn difficulty is precisely determined, but the computational complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the turning assessment into discrete geometric segments or zones along the vehicle's path. By analyzing key critical points and segments of the turning footprint rather than the entire continuous path, the system achieves accurate turn difficulty assessment with reduced computational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts only the essential geometric features and critical dimensions needed for turn assessment from the complete footprint analysis. By focusing on key parameters such as maximum width, turning radius, and critical clearance points, the patent achieves precise measurement without processing all detailed geometric data.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are systems, methods, and other techniques for determining vehicle turn difficulty using overhead satellite imagery. In some implementations, an overhead image of a road intersection is obtained. A footprint of the road intersection is predicted using the overhead image. The footprint of the road intersection is analyzed to calculate one or more distances associated with a turn at the road intersection. A turn difficulty value associated with the turn is calculated based on the one or more distances for the turn.