Virtual Sphere Radius Control for Smooth Autonomous Subject Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing remote controlled vehicles struggle to autonomously track moving subjects, especially when they make unexpected movements, as they rely on user control and can lose the subject due to cumbersome operation.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a vehicle with a camera, a radius generator, and a vehicle controller interface that dynamically generates a virtual sphere around the vehicle based on velocity and camera configuration data, allowing the vehicle to autonomously adjust its target position and follow the subject smoothly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user control is used to follow the moving subject, then the vehicle can be operated with simple control mechanisms, but the vehicle is susceptible to losing track of the subject when it moves unexpectedly
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle performs autonomous tracking by itself using onboard sensors and processing units to detect subject movement and adjust its position automatically, eliminating the need for complex user control inputs while maintaining reliable tracking even during unexpected subject movements
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously receives feedback from cameras and sensors about the subject's position and movement, processes this information through control algorithms, and automatically adjusts the vehicle's trajectory to maintain optimal tracking, ensuring reliability without requiring complex manual control
2Productivity
If the vehicle autonomously adjusts its position dynamically, then the vehicle can capture images of abrupt subject movements effectively, but the computational requirements and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates potential subject movement trajectories and pre-positions the vehicle along predicted paths, so when the subject makes abrupt movements, the vehicle is already in optimal positions to capture images without requiring extensive real-time computation
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle dynamically adjusts its velocity and position based on real-time subject movement detection, using adaptive algorithms that increase tracking aggressiveness during abrupt movements while maintaining efficiency during steady-state tracking, optimizing both image capture effectiveness and processing time
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a configuration of an autonomous vehicle for autonomously following a moving subject based on a radius of a virtual sphere surrounding the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be an unmanned ground vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle, which autonomously follows the subject (e.g., a device, a live entity, or any object) based on the virtual sphere. The radius of the virtual sphere may be dynamically configured according to a velocity of the autonomous vehicle or configurations of a camera coupled to the autonomous vehicle. Accordingly, the autonomous vehicle can follow the subject along a smooth trajectory, and capture images of abrupt movements of the subject in a cinematically pleasing manner.