Vehicle Path Planning for Sensor Visibility Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles in warehouse environments face challenges in navigating to target locations while ensuring sensors can scan the volume occupied by the vehicle and its cargo, due to sensor blind spots and structural obstructions, which can lead to obstacles and hazards being undetected.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine a target location for a vehicle, define a boundary of the volume to be occupied by the object at the target location, and calculate a path for the vehicle to follow, ensuring that each point of the boundary is observable by sensors along a section of the path, allowing for clear scanning of the volume for obstacles and hazards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the vehicle navigates directly to the target location, then the navigation speed is improved, but the sensor coverage is insufficient due to blind spots and structural obstructions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary sensor scans of the target location before the vehicle arrives. The computing device determines scan points within the volume to be occupied by the vehicle and cargo, and verifies observability from the planned path, ensuring the area is cleared of obstacles before entry.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary verification process between navigation and target arrival. Sensors scan the target volume along the navigation path, and the computing device validates that all boundary points are observable, acting as a mediator to ensure safety before the vehicle completes its journey.
2Measurement precision
If the vehicle performs comprehensive scanning of the target volume, then the detection accuracy is improved, but the navigation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The target volume is segmented into multiple discrete scan points distributed throughout the space. The system determines a finite set of points defining the boundary of the volume, scanning each point individually rather than attempting to scan the entire continuous space, thereby reducing total scan time while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system scans only the necessary portion of the target volume - specifically the boundary points defined by the convex hull of the vehicle and cargo volume. This partial scanning approach is sufficient to detect obstacles that would interfere with vehicle placement, avoiding the time cost of scanning the entire infinite space while maintaining adequate detection accuracy.
3Reliability
If the vehicle follows a complex path to ensure all points are observable, then the safety is improved, but the path planning complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the vehicle's own navigation path to serve dual purposes: both transporting the vehicle to the target and providing the observation trajectory for sensors. The computing device verifies that the planned navigation path itself allows sensors to scan all boundary points, eliminating the need for separate complex scanning maneuvers.
Solution Approach 2:
The navigation path serves multiple functions simultaneously: it transports the vehicle to the target location and provides the observation trajectory for sensor scanning. This multi-functionality reduces path planning complexity by consolidating navigation and scanning requirements into a single path determination process.
Data Source
AI summary
An example system may include a vehicle, a sensor, and a control system that may determine a target location for an object carried by the vehicle. The control system may also determine a plurality of points defining a boundary of a volume to be occupied by the object at the target location. The plurality of points may be scannable in a sequence by the sensor to scan the volume. The control system may additionally determine a respective field of visibility to each respective point. Further, the control system may determine a path for the vehicle to follow to the target location. The respective field of visibility may intersect with at least a respective portion of the determined path such that each respective point is observable by the sensor along at least the respective portion of the determined path as the vehicle moves along the determined path to the target location.