Automated Vehicle Crosswalk Navigation Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated vehicles often experience unnecessary traffic delays at intersections due to waiting for pedestrians to clear crosswalks, which can lead to inefficient traffic flow.
Innovation Solution
A crosswalk navigation system equipped with an intersection-detector, pedestrian-detector, and controller that determines the travel path of the vehicle and the pedestrian's motion vector, allowing the vehicle to enter the intersection before the pedestrian passes through and arrive after they have cleared, thereby minimizing waiting time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the automated vehicle waits for the pedestrian to clear the crosswalk before entering the intersection, then pedestrian safety is ensured, but traffic delays increase and traffic flow efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the pedestrian's motion vector and trajectory before the vehicle reaches the intersection. By calculating the pedestrian's projected path and timing, the system determines in advance whether the crosswalk will be clear by the time the vehicle arrives, allowing the vehicle to proceed without unnecessary waiting while still ensuring safety.
2Productivity
If the automated vehicle enters the intersection before the pedestrian clears the crosswalk, then traffic flow efficiency improves, but the risk of collision with the pedestrian increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the pedestrian's actual position and compares it with the predicted trajectory. This feedback mechanism allows the vehicle to adjust its speed and arrival timing dynamically, ensuring it reaches the intersection only when the pedestrian has cleared the path, thereby eliminating collision risk while maintaining efficient traffic flow.
3Reliability
If the automated vehicle waits unnecessarily for pedestrians at every intersection, then pedestrian safety is maintained, but overall traffic productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the decision parameter from a binary wait-or-go approach to a continuous timing calculation based on the pedestrian's motion vector, speed, and direction. By calculating the precise arrival time that coincides with the pedestrian clearing the crosswalk, the system eliminates unnecessary waiting while maintaining safety, thereby improving overall traffic productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A crosswalk navigation system for operating an automated vehicle in an intersection includes an intersection-detector, a pedestrian-detector, and a controller. The intersection-detector is suitable for use on a host-vehicle. The intersection-detector is used to determine when the host-vehicle is proximate to an intersection and determine when the intersection includes a cross-walk. The pedestrian-detector is suitable for use on the host-vehicle. The pedestrian-detector is used to determine a motion-vector of a pedestrian relative to the cross-walk. The controller is in communication with the intersection-detector and the pedestrian-detector. The controller is configured to determine a travel-path of the host-vehicle through the intersection, determine when the pedestrian will pass through an intersect-location where the travel-path intersects the cross-walk based on the motion-vector, and operate the host-vehicle to enter the intersection before the pedestrian passes through the intersect-location and to arrive at the intersect-location after the pedestrian passes through the intersect-location.