Vehicle Underfloor Object Detection via Trajectory Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle surrounding monitoring apparatuses cannot accurately inform drivers of humans or animals present under the vehicle, as they rely on past images and do not provide real-time information, leading to potential injuries.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle surrounding monitoring apparatus that uses a detecting apparatus and electronic control unit to acquire real-time and past object information, determining the probability of objects under the vehicle by analyzing moving direction, distance, and speed, and executing an underfloor object informing process to alert the driver.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the system uses past images around the vehicle to produce the present underfloor image, then the system can display an image of the space under the floor, but the displayed image is delayed and does not reflect the real-time state, causing loss of information about current object presence
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection and tracking of objects around the vehicle before they may enter the underfloor space. By continuously monitoring object positions and predicting their movement trajectories in advance, the system prepares real-time object information proactively, eliminating the need to rely on delayed past images while maintaining current situational awareness.
2Reliability
If the system continuously monitors and updates object information in real-time, then the driver receives accurate present-state information, but the system complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where detection results from the detecting apparatus are immediately fed back to the electronic control unit for real-time analysis and updating of object information. This feedback mechanism ensures that the driver receives accurate, up-to-date information about objects around and under the vehicle, while the modular feedback architecture manages system complexity through structured information flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic control unit performs multiple functions including detecting objects, tracking their movement, predicting trajectories, determining underfloor presence probability, and controlling display output. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional control unit, the system achieves high reliability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the system determines object presence under the floor using only past images, then the processing is simpler, but the system cannot accurately inform the driver of current hazards, reducing safety
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary prediction and analysis layer between the detecting apparatus and the display output. This intermediary layer processes real-time object information, predicts object trajectories, and determines the probability of object presence under the floor, providing accurate safety information without requiring complete system redesign. The intermediary layer acts as a bridge that enhances safety while maintaining reasonable implementation complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle surrounding monitoring apparatus executes an underfloor object informing process for informing occupants of a vehicle of a probability that there is an object under the vehicle. When an object around the vehicle is detected, the vehicle surrounding monitoring apparatus memorizes information on the object as real-time object information. When the object which had been detected, is not detected, the vehicle surrounding monitoring apparatus acquires information on a moving of the object which had been detected for a predetermined time period as past object information, based on the memorized real-time object information. When determining that there is the object which had been detected under the vehicle, based on the past object information, the vehicle surrounding monitoring apparatus executes the underfloor object informing process.