Utility Vehicle Road-Condition Control for Rough Terrain Autonomy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional autonomous driving vehicles are not designed to navigate rough terrain and require different control mechanisms for autonomous travel compared to utility vehicles that can traverse obstacles.
Innovation Solution
A utility vehicle equipped with a travel structure, circuitry for autonomous control, and a vehicle location detector that adjusts travel parameters based on road condition levels to ensure safe and efficient autonomous travel on rough terrain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional autonomous driving control is used, then the vehicle can travel on ordinary roads, but it cannot appropriately handle rough terrain and obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control by adjusting travel parameters (speed, steering angle) based on real-time road condition detection. The control system continuously adapts to changing terrain conditions, transitioning between different control modes for ordinary roads versus rough terrain with obstacles, thereby achieving both versatility and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes control parameters according to detected road conditions. For rough terrain, it modifies speed limits, steering responsiveness, and obstacle avoidance behavior compared to conventional autonomous driving, enabling appropriate handling of diverse terrains while maintaining reliable autonomous operation
2Reliability
If the vehicle reduces speed in bad road conditions, then safety is improved, but travel efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing speed reduction only in specific regions with bad road conditions rather than uniformly across all terrain. The control system identifies problematic areas and adjusts parameters locally, maintaining safety in hazardous zones while preserving travel efficiency in good conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by reducing speed only when and where necessary based on road condition detection, rather than continuously limiting speed. This selective approach maintains safety in bad conditions while minimizing impact on overall travel efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A utility vehicle includes: a travel structure including a front wheel, a rear wheel, a steering structure mounted to the front wheel, and a drive source that drives the front wheel and/or the rear wheel; circuitry that controls the travel structure to effect autonomous travel without manned operation in a given travel area; and a vehicle location detector that detects a location of the utility vehicle. During the autonomous travel, the circuitry determines, based on road condition data where the travel area is divided into regions with different predetermined road condition levels, to which of the road condition levels a road condition of a region ahead of the location of the utility vehicle in a travel direction belongs, and the circuitry controls the travel structure such that a given travel parameter is within a corresponding one of permissible ranges predetermined respectively in association with the road condition levels.