Vehicle Collision Severity Mitigation via Path Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in determining the best path to minimize damage severity during inevitable collisions, as existing systems lack the capability to accurately predict and mitigate damage by optimizing steering and braking strategies in real-time.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control system equipped with computing devices, sensors, and controllers that analyze potential collision paths, determine the path resulting in minimum damage severity, and adjust steering and braking torque to prevent skidding and optimize impact location, using data from sensors and pre-determined structural performance information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the vehicle operates in autonomous mode with advanced path analysis, then damage severity in collision scenarios is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to additional computing devices, sensors, and controllers
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of multiple potential collision paths and their associated damage severities before the actual collision occurs. The computing device calculates damage severity for each path using structural performance data and kinetic energy estimates, then selects the optimal path in advance, allowing the vehicle to mitigate collision damage through proactive path selection rather than reactive response
Solution Approach 2:
The path selection process is segmented into discrete evaluable paths, each with calculated damage severity metrics. The system divides the continuous space of possible collision outcomes into distinct path segments that can be individually analyzed and compared, enabling systematic optimization of collision outcomes through structured evaluation of multiple scenarios
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the vehicle adjusts steering and braking torque in real-time to optimize impact location, then damage severity is minimized, but the control complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The computing device pre-calculates damage severity for multiple potential collision paths before the collision occurs, using stored structural performance information and estimated kinetic energy. This preliminary analysis allows the system to identify the optimal path in advance, reducing the need for complex real-time calculations during the actual collision event
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts steering and braking torque based on the selected optimal path, transitioning control parameters in real-time to guide the vehicle along the damage-minimizing trajectory. The controllers modulate torque application dynamically to achieve precise impact location while adapting to changing vehicle state and environmental conditions
3Measurement precision
If the vehicle uses predetermined structural performance information to estimate damage severity, then the measurement precision of collision outcome prediction is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Structural performance information is predetermined and stored in the computing device before collision events occur. This pre-acquired data, which may come from manufacturing specifications or prior testing, enables accurate damage severity estimation during operation without requiring complex real-time measurement systems or specialized manufacturing processes
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses predetermined structural performance information as a digital representation or model of the vehicle's actual structural characteristics. This copied data allows the computing device to simulate and predict collision outcomes accurately without requiring physical test structures or complex manufacturing infrastructure
Data Source
AI summary
Vehicles can be equipped with a computing device to determine two or more paths of available paths for the vehicle that each include a predicted impact with an object. The computing device can determine a time to impact, vehicle speed and direction and object speed and direction, and an object type. The computing device can also determine a best path of the two or more vehicle paths by determining damage severity based on time to impact, vehicle speed and direction and object speed and direction and control one or more of steering, propulsive torque and braking torque to pilot the vehicle on the best path based on the damage severity.