UAV Route Conflict Avoidance Using Offset Trajectory Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomy systems in robotics are typically designed to address only one specific mission set, limiting their extensibility and efficiency in handling multiple operational tasks such as conflict detection and avoidance in dynamic environments.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for detecting and avoiding conflicts along a current route of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by accessing its trajectory and a nearby moving object's predicted trajectory, determining alternate routes, evaluating them based on a cost metric, and selecting a route for guidance, navigation, or control to avoid conflicts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing autonomy systems are designed to address only one specific mission set, then the system design can be focused and simplified, but the extensibility and efficiency in handling multiple operational tasks are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomy system is designed with a unified architecture that can handle multiple mission types (conflict detection, route planning, obstacle avoidance) through common algorithms and data structures. The system uses a generic cost metric evaluation framework that can be configured for different mission requirements, allowing one system to perform multiple functions without requiring separate specialized systems for each mission type.
2Reliability
If the system evaluates multiple alternate routes with different offset distances, then better conflict avoidance options are available, but the computational complexity and time required for route evaluation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system generates a limited set of alternate routes with specific offset distances (e.g., first offset, second offset) rather than evaluating all possible routes. This partial action approach provides sufficient conflict avoidance options while limiting computational effort to a manageable number of candidate routes that are most likely to resolve conflicts.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-calculates and stores cost metrics for different route segments and conflict scenarios. When a conflict is detected, the system quickly retrieves and evaluates pre-computed route options rather than performing full route planning from scratch, significantly reducing real-time evaluation time while maintaining comprehensive conflict avoidance analysis.
3Measurement precision
If the system uses a cost metric that considers both time to point of approach and distance from current route, then more comprehensive route evaluation is achieved, but the computational requirements and complexity of the evaluation process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a cost metric that combines multiple parameters (time to point of approach, distance from current route) into a single evaluative score. By changing the parameter representation from multiple separate considerations to a unified cost metric, the system achieves comprehensive route evaluation while simplifying the decision-making process through quantitative comparison of candidate routes.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method is provided for detecting and avoiding conflict along a current route of a robot. The method includes accessing a trajectory of the robot on the current route of the robot, and a predicted trajectory of a nearby moving object, and from the trajectory and predicted trajectory, detecting a conflict between the robot and the nearby moving object. Alternate routes for the robot are determined, each of which includes an alternative route segment offset from the current route, and a transition segment from the current route to the alternative route segment. Routes including the current and alternative routes are evaluated according to a cost metric, and a route from the routes is selected for use in at least one of guidance, navigation or control of the robot to avoid the conflict.