Autonomous Vehicle Intent Communication With Ground Projection Cues
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous vehicles lack comprehensive means to communicate their navigation intentions to external observers, limiting effective interaction and safety in shared traffic environments.
Innovation Solution
The autonomous vehicle employs various communication methods, including visual displays, ground projections, and anthropomorphic devices, to convey its intended trajectory, obstacles, and navigation states in a human-understandable format, using sensors and output devices like projectors, displays, and speakers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional signaling devices (turn signals, brake lights) are used in autonomous vehicles, then the vehicle can communicate basic navigation intentions, but the communication capability is limited and insufficient for comprehensive interaction with external observers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional one-dimensional visual signals (lights) to multi-dimensional communication by projecting images onto the ground surface. This adds spatial dimension and information density, allowing the vehicle to convey complex navigation intentions, obstacles, and trajectory information simultaneously through visual displays and projected images.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication system that includes visual displays, ground projectors, and audio output devices. These intermediaries translate the autonomous vehicle's internal navigation state into human-understandable formats, bridging the gap between machine decision-making and human observation.
2Reliability
If comprehensive communication methods are implemented in autonomous vehicles, then external observers can better understand navigation intentions, but the device complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal communication system where a single control system coordinates multiple output devices (visual displays, ground projectors, audio speakers). This multi-functional approach allows one system to handle various communication needs—navigation intentions, obstacle warnings, trajectory information—through different modalities, improving reliability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system is segmented into independent modules: visual display unit, ground projection unit, and audio output unit. Each module can operate independently or in coordination, allowing the system to provide comprehensive communication while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
3Loss of information
If multiple communication modalities are used, then the information conveyed to external observers is more comprehensive, but the ease of operation decreases due to system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The control system automatically selects and coordinates the appropriate communication modalities based on the vehicle's current state and context. The system self-manages the complexity of coordinating multiple output devices, translating internal navigation decisions into appropriate visual, projected, and audio signals without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining ease of operation while providing comprehensive information.
Data Source
AI summary
At least one embodiment of this disclosure includes a method for an autonomous vehicle (e.g., a fully autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle) to communicate with external observers. The method includes: receiving a task at the autonomous vehicle; collecting data that characterizes a surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle from a sensor coupled to the autonomous vehicle; determining an intended course of action for the autonomous vehicle to undertake based on the task and the collected data; and conveying a human understandable output via an output device, the human understandable output expressly or implicitly indicating the intended course of action to an external observer.