Vehicle Sensor Data Virtual Model for Accident Reconstruction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Auto insurance providers face inaccuracies and delays in determining fault and assessing damages in accidents due to reliance on eyewitness reports and post-incident evidence, leading to inefficiencies and unfairness in claim resolution.
Innovation Solution
A system that collects and processes data from onboard vehicle sensors to generate a virtual model of an accident, using external sensors, operational data, and synchronization data to accurately reconstruct events and determine fault or damages in real-time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If eyewitness reports and post-incident evidence are used to determine fault, then the insurance provider can process claims without additional sensor equipment, but the accuracy and timeliness of fault determination deteriorates due to delays and potential inaccuracies in eyewitness accounts
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by continuously collecting and storing sensor data before accidents occur. The sensors are actively gathering information about the vehicle's environment, operational parameters, and surrounding conditions during normal operation, so that when an accident happens, the data is already captured and ready for immediate analysis, eliminating the time delay associated with post-incident evidence collection
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system acts as an intermediary between the accident event and the insurance provider's fault determination process. Instead of relying directly on eyewitness reports or post-incident investigations, the sensors capture objective data that mediates the fault determination, providing accurate, time-stamped information about vehicle speed, braking, steering, and environmental conditions at the moment of the accident
2Loss of information
If multiple sensors and data processing systems are deployed in vehicles, then the accuracy and detail of accident reconstruction improves, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system achieves universality by using multi-functional sensors that can serve multiple purposes. The same sensors that monitor vehicle operation for normal driving assistance also capture accident scene information, and the data serves multiple functions including fault determination, damage assessment, and safety analysis, reducing the need for separate dedicated accident recording systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service by having the vehicle's existing operational sensors automatically capture and store accident-related data without requiring separate accident-specific equipment. The vehicle's own operational data systems serve the dual purpose of normal vehicle control and accident reconstruction, eliminating the need for additional complex dedicated accident recording devices
Data Source
AI summary
A method, implemented in an electronic processing system that includes a memory and one or more processors, includes receiving, at the electronic processing system, sensor data representing information collected by a first sensor (i) located on or in a first vehicle and (ii) configured to sense an environment external to the first vehicle. The method also includes storing the received sensor data in the memory, and generating, via the one or more processors and using the stored sensor data, a virtual model of an event involving at least one vehicle.