Automated Vehicle Route Control for Predicted Puddle Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles tend to splash water onto pedestrians and experience hydroplaning when passing over puddles, posing a danger during travel.
Innovation Solution
An operation management apparatus that predicts puddle locations based on precipitation data and selects a route with fewer puddles using a machine-learned model, and optionally adjusts vehicle speed and deceleration to minimize splash and hydroplaning risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If vehicles pass over puddles to maintain route efficiency, then productivity is improved, but water splashes onto pedestrians and hydroplaning occurs causing safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of puddles using precipitation data and machine learning models before the vehicle reaches them. The operation management apparatus calculates predicted positions of puddles along the route and determines avoidance strategies in advance, allowing the vehicle to maintain safety while minimizing route deviations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary calculation process that predicts puddle positions based on precipitation data and road gradient information. This intermediary model acts as a mediator between weather data and vehicle control, enabling proactive route adjustment without direct contact with actual puddles.
2Reliability
If the vehicle route is adjusted to avoid predicted puddles, then safety is improved, but travel time increases due to route changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial route adjustment by only deviating from the original route when necessary to avoid predicted puddles. Instead of completely changing the route, the vehicle makes minimal local adjustments, such as slight lateral movements or small detours, thereby maintaining most of the original route efficiency while ensuring safety.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If vehicle speed is reduced when passing over puddles to prevent splashes, then pedestrian safety is improved, but travel efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by predicting puddle positions in advance and adjusting the route to avoid them entirely. This proactive approach eliminates the need for speed reduction or emergency braking when encountering puddles, thereby maintaining travel efficiency while ensuring pedestrian safety through preventive route planning.
Data Source
AI summary
An operation management apparatus is configured to operate a vehicle by automated driving. The operation management apparatus includes a controller configured to acquire precipitation data indicating the amount of precipitation forecasted to fall during a time period that lasts until operation of the vehicle is completed, perform, using the acquired precipitation data as an input, a determination process to determine an occurrence state of puddles for each of a plurality of candidate links connecting a first node and a second node included in a route along which the vehicle is scheduled to travel, and select a link, from among the candidate links, based on a determination result of the occurrence state of the puddles and determine, as an operation route for the vehicle, a route constituted of the selected link.