Vehicle Body Vertical Motion for Autonomous Intention Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous vehicles lack effective communication methods to indicate their intentions to external observers, making it challenging for people and other vehicles to plan their behavior or react to the vehicle's actions.
Innovation Solution
An intention indicating system that performs vertical vehicle motions, such as raising and lowering the front or rear portions of the vehicle body, to signal ongoing or impending kinematic actions, along with visual and auditory cues, ensuring the signals are observable from various angles and intuitive to understand.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional signaling methods (turn signals, brake lights) are used, then the vehicle can communicate basic intentions, but the communication is limited to a small subset of information and is not visible from all angles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces vertical vehicle motion as a new dimension for communication, moving beyond the traditional horizontal plane of turn signals and brake lights. By raising or lowering the vehicle body vertically, the system creates a new spatial dimension for expressing autonomous intentions, making signals visible from all horizontal angles around the vehicle.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical motion system serves multiple communication functions: indicating autonomous mode activation, signaling upcoming actions, and providing situational awareness. A single vertical motion mechanism replaces the need for multiple separate signaling systems, achieving multi-functionality while reducing overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If no notification is provided, then the signaling system remains simple, but external observers cannot plan their behavior or react to the vehicle's actions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs vertical motion in advance of actual vehicle actions to预告 upcoming intentions. By signaling before executing maneuvers, the system gives external observers time to plan and react, improving safety without requiring complex real-time communication systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Vertical vehicle motion acts as an intermediary between the autonomous vehicle's internal decision-making and external observers. This physical mediator translates complex autonomous intentions into intuitive, universally visible signals that bridge the gap between machine cognition and human understanding.
3Ease of operation
If signals are provided only from fixed positions, then the signaling system is simple, but observers from certain angles cannot see the signals
Solution Approach 1:
By utilizing vertical motion as an additional dimension, the system ensures signals are visible from all horizontal angles simultaneously. A vertical displacement of the vehicle body creates a signal that can be observed from any direction around the vehicle, eliminating blind spots without requiring multiple signal emitters positioned at different locations.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method performed by an intention indicating system (1) of a vehicle (2), for indicating to a potential observer an ongoing or impending autonomous kinematic action of the vehicle. The intention indicating system determines (1001) an ongoing or impending autonomous kinematic action of the vehicle. The intention indicating system further performs (1002) a vertical vehicle motion representing the autonomous kinematic action, which vertical vehicle motion comprises raising and/or lowering a front portion (201) and/or a rear portion (202) of a vehicle body (20) of the vehicle. The vertical vehicle motion comprises - when the autonomous kinematic action comprises a transition from a standstill state to a shut down state - lowering the vehicle body front portion and rear portion from a nominal suspension level (N) to a lower suspension level (L); additionally or alternatively - when the autonomous kinematic action comprises a transition from the shut down state to the standstill state - raising the vehicle body front portion and rear portion from the lower suspension level to the nominal suspension level; additionally or alternatively - when the autonomous kinematic action comprises an acceleration - raising the front portion and/or lowering the rear portion; and/or additionally or alternatively - when the autonomous kinematic action comprises a deceleration - lowering the front portion and/or raising the rear portion. The disclosure also relates to an intention indicating system in accordance with the foregoing, and further to a vehicle comprising such an intention indicating system.