Teleoperated Vehicle Guidance for Flagger Interactions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in safely navigating around flaggers directing traffic, as existing systems lack effective collaboration with human operators to adapt driving policies and ensure safety.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle uses sensors to identify flaggers and sends data to a teleoperator for guidance, implementing policies to stop at a threshold distance and receive continuous input to navigate safely, updating policies based on real-time instructions from the teleoperator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If autonomous vehicles use sensors to identify objects and determine navigation paths independently, then automation level is improved, but safety and adaptability to complex situations (like flagger interactions) deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
A teleoperator serves as an intermediary between the autonomous vehicle and human flaggers. The teleoperator receives sensor data from the vehicle, views video feeds of the environment, and provides real-time guidance commands to the vehicle when flaggers are detected. This intermediary human element bridges the gap between autonomous operation and human judgment, allowing the vehicle to maintain high automation levels while accessing human expertise for complex situations involving flaggers.
2Reliability
If the vehicle stops at a threshold distance from flaggers to await instructions, then safety is improved, but navigation time and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle performs preliminary actions by stopping at a threshold distance from detected flaggers before proceeding. This preliminary stop allows the vehicle to establish communication with a teleoperator and receive guidance instructions in advance. By preparing and awaiting instructions proactively rather than reactively, the vehicle ensures safety is maintained while minimizing unnecessary delays, as the teleoperator can provide continuous guidance once established.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback between the vehicle, teleoperator, and environment. The vehicle sends sensor data and video feeds to the teleoperator, who provides real-time guidance commands back to the vehicle. This feedback loop allows the vehicle to maintain a safe distance from flaggers while receiving ongoing instructions that enable continuous navigation rather than repeated stopping, thereby balancing safety with productivity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the vehicle continuously monitors sensor data and teleoperator guidance, then safety and adaptability are improved, but computational load and system complexity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments computational tasks between the vehicle's onboard processors and remote teleoperator systems. The vehicle handles local sensor data processing, flagger detection, and basic navigation decisions. Complex judgment and policy adaptation are segmented to the teleoperator who receives processed video feeds and sensor data. This segmentation reduces the computational burden on the vehicle while maintaining real-time adaptability through human intelligence.
Solution Approach 2:
The teleoperator system serves multiple functions: receiving sensor data from the vehicle, processing video feeds, detecting flaggers, providing guidance commands, and adapting navigation policies. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional teleoperator platform, the system achieves high adaptability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity. The teleoperator acts as a universal interface between the autonomous vehicle and human expertise.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure is directed to techniques for collaborative driving during flagger interactions. For instance, a vehicle navigating along a path may detect a flagger using sensor data. Based on detecting the flagger, the vehicle may stop at a location that is at least a threshold distance from the flagger and also send the sensor data to one or more computing devices associated with a teleoperator. The vehicle may then receive a guidance from the one or more computing devices, where the guidance is to proceed past the location. In some examples, the vehicle receives the guidance when the teleoperator activates and holds an input device. Based on receiving the guidance, the vehicle may begin to navigate passed the location and by the flagger. In some examples, the vehicle continues to navigate as long as the teleoperator activates the input device.