Travel route generating method for unmanned vehicle

• US 8,386,110 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2009
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd., Yokohama National University
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd., Yokohama National University
• Inventors: Noda, Tetsuya, Ozaki, Tomonori, Maekawa, Takashi, Tamura, Shigefumi
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/563,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20100076640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/25, 701/26, 701/410, 701/418, 701/425, 701/467, 701/469, 180/167, 180/168, 318/580, 318/587
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria

Abstract

A travel route generating method for an unmanned vehicle, which includes a condition input step of inputting a vehicle constraint condition including a vehicle width and a minimum turning radius of the unmanned vehicle, and a geometrical constraint condition including a travel route generation range in which the unmanned vehicle is to travel, an obstacle to avoid, and a position and a direction of an entrance point and an exit point; and a travel route generating step of generating a travel route such that the vehicle constraint condition and the geometrical constraint condition are satisfied, and such that a function value of a cost function having at least a magnitude of a curve and/or a rate of change in the curve as a cost element is minimized.

Claims

1. A travel route generating method for an unmanned vehicle, comprising:

a condition input step of inputting a vehicle constraint condition including a vehicle width and a minimum turning radius of the unmanned vehicle, and a geometrical constraint condition including a travel route generation range in which the unmanned vehicle is to travel, an obstacle to avoid, and positions and directions of an entrance point and an exit point; and

a travel route generating step of generating a travel route such that the vehicle constraint condition and the geometrical constraint condition are satisfied, and such that a function value of a cost function is minimized, the cost function being composed of at least;

a first term for reducing a turning radius of the unmanned vehicle by reducing curvature of the travel route,

a second term for reducing a steering operation amount per unit distance by reducing a rate of change of curvature of the travel route, and

a third term for shortening a travel distance of the travel route, wherein

the first term is obtained by integrating, along the travel route, the curvature of the travel route or a steering angle of the unmanned vehicle regarding micro section of the travel route,

the second term is obtained by integrating, along the travel route, the rate of change of the curvature of the travel route or the steering operation amount of the unmanned vehicle regarding the micro section of the travel route, and

the third term is obtained by integrating, along the travel route, the travel distance of the travel route regarding the micro section of the travel route.

2. The travel route generating method for an unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the cost function further includes a fourth term for reducing a stationary steering cost at a switchback point on the travel route, the fourth term being obtained by integrating, along the travel route before and after the switchback point, the steering operation amount of the unmanned vehicle or the rate of change of the curvature of the travel route regarding the micro section of the travel route before and after the switchback point, and

the travel route generating step comprises a step of generating the travel route for the unmanned vehicle with the switchback point introduced therein, and

the switchback point is determined so as to minimize the function value of the cost function.

3. The travel route generating method for an unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the cost function further includes a fourth term for reducing a stationary steering cost at a switchback point on the travel route, the fourth term being obtained by integrating along the travel route before and after the switchback point the steering operation amount of the unmanned vehicle or the rate of change of the curvature of the travel route regarding the micro section of the travel route before and after the switchback point, and

the travel route generating step comprises:

a step of determining whether or not the generated travel route satisfies the vehicle constrain condition and/or the geometrical constraint condition, or whether or not the function value of the cost function is reduced by introduction of the switchback point; and

a step of, when it is determined that the generated travel route does not satisfy the vehicle constraint condition and/or the geometrical constraint condition, or it is determined that the function value of the cost function is reduced by introduction of the switchback point, generating the travel route for the unmanned vehicle with the switchback point introduced therein, and wherein

the switchback point is determined so as to minimize the function value of the cost function.

4. The travel route generating method for an unmanned vehicle, comprising

a condition input step of inputting a vehicle constraint condition including a vehicle width and a minimum turning radius of the unmanned vehicle, and a geometrical constraint condition including a travel route generation range in which the unmanned vehicle is to travel, an obstacle to avoid, and positions and directions of an entrance point and an exit point;

and

a travel route generating step of generating a travel route such that the vehicle constraint condition and the geometrical constraint condition are satisfied, and such that a function value of a cost function having at least a magnitude of a curve and/or a rate of change in the curve as a cost element is minimized, wherein

the travel route generating step further comprises;

an interpolation point searching step of searching for an interpolation point of the travel route along which the unmanned vehicle is to travel; and

an interpolation step of interpolating the interpolation point in the route passing from the entrance point via the interpolation point to the exit point, and wherein

the search in the interpolation point searching step and/or the interpolation in the interpolation step are/is performed so as to minimize the function value of the cost function.

5. The travel route generating method for an unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the interpolation in the interpolation step is performed by using a B-spline curve.