Vehicle Path Planning Around Sensor Blind Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems fail to effectively navigate around blind zones outside the fields of view of available sensors, leading to potential collisions with undetected objects.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle computer system defines a blind zone outside sensor fields of view and generates a planned path that avoids this zone by including a straight portion followed by a turning portion, allowing the vehicle to obtain sensor data from the blind zone and adjust its path accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the vehicle operates along a direct path to the destination, then the travel time is reduced, but the vehicle may collide with undetected objects in the blind zone
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by defining a blind zone and generating a planned path that proactively avoids it before the vehicle enters the dangerous area. The path planning algorithm anticipates potential collisions by pre-calculating a safe trajectory that steers the vehicle around the blind zone, rather than reacting after detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system resolves the contradiction by adding a spatial dimension to the path planning problem. Instead of only optimizing for time along a direct path, the system incorporates the blind zone spatial constraint, creating a three-dimensional path solution that balances time efficiency with safety by routing around the dangerous zone.
2Reliability
If the vehicle generates a path that avoids the blind zone, then collision avoidance is improved, but the path complexity increases due to adding straight and turning portions
Solution Approach 1:
The path planning algorithm segments the avoidance maneuver into distinct components: a straight portion that moves the vehicle away from the blind zone, and a turning portion that redirects the vehicle toward the destination. This segmentation simplifies the control logic by breaking down the complex avoidance maneuver into manageable, sequential segments with clear geometric definitions.
3Measurement precision
If the vehicle obtains sensor data from the blind zone by moving to the end of the straight portion, then detection accuracy is improved, but the time to reach the destination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by obtaining sensor data only at the specific location (end of straight portion) where the blind zone is most critical, rather than continuously monitoring all areas. This selective measurement approach provides sufficient detection accuracy for collision avoidance while minimizing the time penalty compared to comprehensive continuous monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
For a vehicle at a first location, a blind zone is defined that is outside fields of view of available vehicle sensors. A path is determined that avoids the blind zone and moves the vehicle away from the first location. The path includes a straight portion having a first end at the first location, and a turning portion starting at a second end of the straight portion. The straight portion is defined such that, at the second end of the straight portion, the fields of view encompass the blind zone. The vehicle is determined to operate along the turning portion based on obtaining sensor data from the blind zone upon reaching the end of the straight portion.