METHOD FOR MOTION PLANNING FOR AUTONOMOUS MOVING OBJECTS

• US 20190056743A1
• Filed: 02/16/2017
• Published: 02/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nec Laboratories Europe GMBH (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: ALESIANI, Francesco, WUTHISHUWONG, Chairit
• Granted Patent: US 10,802,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0013 specially adapted for occupant comfort
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A method for motion planning for autonomous moving objects (AMO) includes continuously computing or updating a time-dependent trajectory of an AMO to a destination by a computing device avoiding obstacles en route to the destination. The time-dependent trajectory is computed using one or more motion planning computation procedures. The method further includes performing a switching to another motion planning computation procedure when an obstacle is detected or not detected anymore. An obstacle is determined to be detected when a point on the computed trajectory lies within or touches a guard area (GA) around the obstacle. The border of the GA has a certain distance from the detected obstacle.

Claims

1. :

A method for motion planning for autonomous moving objects (AMO), the method comprising;

continuously computing or updating a time-dependent trajectory of an AMO to a destination by a computing device avoiding obstacles en route to the destination, wherein the time-dependent trajectory is computed using one or more motion planning computation procedures; and

performing a switching to another motion planning computation procedure when an obstacle is detected or not detected anymore, wherein an obstacle is determined to be detected when a point on the computed trajectory lies within or touches a guard area (GA) around the obstacle, the border of the GA having a certain distance from the detected obstacle.

2. :

The method according to claim 1, wherein the motion planning computation procedures are based on a principle of a) Obstacle Avoidance, b) Tracking Goal, and/or c) Sliding Motion.

3. :

The method according to claim 2, wherein when a) no obstacle is detected and/or b) a threat for the AMO and/or the obstacle is detected, the trajectory is computed using Tracking Goal,

wherein when a computed trajectory at least touching the GA and a threat is detected, the trajectory is computed using Sliding motion, and

wherein when an actual position of the AMO is closer to the obstacle than a minimum distance between the GA and the obstacle, the trajectory is computed using Obstacle Avoidance.

4. :

The method according to claim 1, wherein the GA is defined by a function based on a distance to a detected obstacle and associated with a yaw rate of the AMO.

5. :

The method according to claim 3, wherein the trajectory computed using Sliding Motion enters, lies within, and exits the GA.

6. :

The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of GA are defined, at least two of the GA are associated with different computational boundaries defined by physical parameters to be respected when computing a trajectory.

7. :

The method according to claim 1, wherein a size of a GA is selected such that a certain smoothness of the trajectory is provided when computing the trajectory.

8. :

The method according to claim 1, wherein the GA has a shape of a sphere, an ellipsoid, and/or a hyper polygon.

9. :

The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is performed using single-path exploration and/or using sample-based exploration with an underlying exploration tree.

10. :

A motion planning device for motion planning for autonomous moving objects (AMO), the motion planning device being configured to;

continuously compute or update a time-dependent trajectory of an AMO to a destination avoiding obstacles en route to the destination,

wherein the time-dependent trajectory is computed using one or more motion planning computation procedures, wherein a switching to another motion planning computation procedure is performed when an obstacle is detected or not detected anymore, wherein an obstacle is determined to be detected when a point on said computed trajectory lies within or touches a guard area (GA) around the obstacle, the border of the GA having a certain distance from the detected obstacle.

11. :

The device according to claim 10, wherein the device is adapted to convert the computed trajectory into steering information and speed information for an AMO.

12. :

The device according to claim 10, wherein the device is connected to one or more sensors of the AMO for obstacle detection, position, and orientation determination.

13. :

The device according to claim 10, wherein the device is connected to a database providing map information.

15. :

An autonomous moving object comprising or connected to a motion planning device according to claim 10 adapted to perform moving according to the information provided by the motion planning device.

14. :

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that, when executed, causes a computer to execute a method for motion planning for autonomous moving objects (AMO), the method comprising;

continuously computing a time-dependent trajectory of an AMO to a destination avoiding obstacles en route to the destination, wherein the time-dependent trajectory is computed using one or more motion planning computation procedures; and

performing a switching to another motion planning computation procedure when an obstacle is detected or not detected anymore, wherein an obstacle is determined to be detected when a point on the computed trajectory lies within or touches a guard area (GA) around the obstacle, a border of the GA having a certain distance from the detected obstacle.