Autonomous Vehicle Speed Planning for Intersection Trajectory Conflicts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in safely maneuvering through intersections and navigating around other objects due to the need for precise speed control and trajectory prediction, which existing technologies struggle to address effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that involve identifying an initial speed plan, receiving data from a perception system to predict object trajectories, generating constraints based on these trajectories, and iteratively adjusting the speed plan to ensure safe navigation, including constraints related to distance, deceleration, and passenger comfort, to control the vehicle's speed and maneuver it autonomously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the vehicle maintains a fixed maximum speed plan, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to inability to respond to dynamic obstacles and changing conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The speed plan is transformed from a fixed static value to a dynamic adjustable parameter. The system continuously monitors obstacle trajectories, intersection points, and environmental conditions, then iteratively adjusts the speed plan to optimize both travel efficiency and safety. This dynamic adaptation allows the vehicle to maintain high speeds when safe while automatically reducing speed when obstacles or hazardous conditions are detected.
2Reliability
If the vehicle frequently adjusts speed to ensure safety, then reliability is improved, but passenger comfort deteriorates due to unnatural speed transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs predictive safety assessments by calculating potential intersection points between the vehicle's route and detected object trajectories. By anticipating future hazards before they become immediate threats, the system can smoothly adjust speed in advance rather than making abrupt reactions. This predictive approach allows for gradual, natural-looking speed transitions that maintain safety while preserving passenger comfort.
3Reliability
If the vehicle uses complex real-time trajectory prediction and iterative speed plan adjustment, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates potential intersection points between the vehicle's planned route and trajectories of detected objects before executing speed adjustments. By performing these predictive calculations in advance and preparing multiple constraint scenarios, the system reduces the computational burden during real-time operation. This preliminary action allows complex safety assessments to be performed efficiently without overwhelming the control system during critical decision-making moments.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure relate to identifying and adjusting speed plans for controlling a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode. In one example, an initial speed plan for controlling speed of the vehicle for a first predetermined period of time corresponding to an amount of time along a route of the vehicle is identified. Data identifying an object and characteristics of that object is received from a perception system of the vehicle. A trajectory for the object that will intersect with the route at an intersection point at particular point in time is predicted using the data. A set of constraints is generated based on at least the trajectory. The speed plan is adjusted in order to satisfy the set of constraints for a second predetermined period of time corresponding to the amount of time. The vehicle is maneuvered in the autonomous driving mode according to the adjusted speed plan.