Self-Driving Vehicle Path Control for Autonomous Obstacle Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current safety mechanisms in mobile unmanned vehicles, such as emergency stops, are time-consuming and inefficient when obstacles are detected, requiring manual override to resume operation.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for path control in self-driving vehicles that includes sensors and a processor to detect obstacles and initiate a redirection routine, reducing velocity and generating a new path to avoid obstacles, with a second fail-safe routine that adjusts operations to prevent emergency stops, allowing the vehicle to continue operating autonomously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If emergency stop is triggered when obstacle is detected, then collision avoidance is achieved, but operation efficiency deteriorates due to manual override requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle's control system automatically handles obstacle avoidance by generating alternative paths and adjusting velocity without requiring manual intervention. The system serves itself by autonomously recovering from obstacle detection scenarios, eliminating the need for operator override and maintaining continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The fail-safe routine dynamically adjusts vehicle operation by modifying velocity commands and generating alternative paths based on real-time obstacle detection. Instead of a static emergency stop, the system adaptively changes its behavior to navigate around obstacles while maintaining safe operating parameters.
2Reliability
If vehicle velocity is reduced when obstacle is detected, then collision risk is minimized, but task completion time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts velocity based on obstacle proximity and generates alternative paths that optimize the balance between safety and efficiency. Velocity reduction is applied selectively and temporarily only when necessary for safe navigation, rather than maintaining reduced speed for extended periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system proactively generates alternative paths and velocity adjustments before the vehicle reaches the obstacle, allowing smooth transitions that minimize disruption to overall task completion. The system prepares avoidance maneuvers in advance rather than reacting abruptly at the last moment.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for path control for a mobile unmanned vehicle in an environment is provided. The system includes: a sensor connected to the mobile unmanned vehicle; the mobile unmanned vehicle configured to initiate a first fail-safe routine responsive to detection of an object in a first sensor region adjacent to the sensor; and a processor connected to the mobile unmanned vehicle. The processor is configured to: generate a current path based on a map of the environment; based on the current path, issue velocity commands to cause the mobile unmanned vehicle to execute the current path; responsive to detection of an obstacle in a second sensor region, initiate a second fail-safe routine in the mobile unmanned vehicle to avoid entry of the obstacle into the first sensor region and initiation of the first fail-safe routine.