Negative obstacle detector
First Claim
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1. An obstacle detector comprising:
- a laser scanner device including;
an optical source configured to emit a laser beam;
a solid-state liquid crystal waveguide configured to steer the laser beam from the optical source over a field of regard of the laser scanner device according to a discrete scan pattern, a surface of a path of travel of an autonomous vehicle being within the field of regard of the laser scanner device; and
a range detector that generates range information based on receiving a reflection of the laser beam and determines an intensity of the reflection of the laser beam; and
at least one processor operatively connected to the solid-state liquid crystal waveguide and to the range detector and configured to;
estimate a position of one or more portions of the autonomous vehicle that contact the surface of the path of travel;
define the discrete scan pattern to cover at least the surface of the path of travel at the estimated position of the one or more portions of the autonomous vehicle that contact the surface of the path of travel;
direct the solid-state liquid crystal waveguide to steer the laser beam over the field of regard according to the discrete scan pattern;
identify an indicator of at least one hole in the surface of the path of travel based on a discontinuity in the intensity of the reflection of the laser beam and the range information, wherein the discontinuity is established by a plurality of reflections of the laser beam, over different angles of return, each of the plurality of reflections of the laser beam having the same range information and intensity of reflection;
determine a location of an edge of the hole in the surface based on a departure from the same range information; and
correlate a size of the hole in the surface of the path of travel relative to a sample time of the plurality of reflections of the laser beam having the same range information and intensity of reflection.
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Abstract
An obstacle detector configured to identify negative obstacles in a vehicle'"'"'s path responsive to steering a laser beam to scan high priority areas in the vehicle'"'"'s path is provided. The high priority areas can be identified dynamically in response to the terrain, speed, and/or acceleration of the vehicle. In some examples, the high priority areas are identified based on a projected position of the vehicles tires. A scan path for the laser, scan rate, and/or a scan location can be dynamically generated to cover the high priority areas.
56 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An obstacle detector comprising:
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a laser scanner device including; an optical source configured to emit a laser beam; a solid-state liquid crystal waveguide configured to steer the laser beam from the optical source over a field of regard of the laser scanner device according to a discrete scan pattern, a surface of a path of travel of an autonomous vehicle being within the field of regard of the laser scanner device; and a range detector that generates range information based on receiving a reflection of the laser beam and determines an intensity of the reflection of the laser beam; and at least one processor operatively connected to the solid-state liquid crystal waveguide and to the range detector and configured to; estimate a position of one or more portions of the autonomous vehicle that contact the surface of the path of travel; define the discrete scan pattern to cover at least the surface of the path of travel at the estimated position of the one or more portions of the autonomous vehicle that contact the surface of the path of travel; direct the solid-state liquid crystal waveguide to steer the laser beam over the field of regard according to the discrete scan pattern; identify an indicator of at least one hole in the surface of the path of travel based on a discontinuity in the intensity of the reflection of the laser beam and the range information, wherein the discontinuity is established by a plurality of reflections of the laser beam, over different angles of return, each of the plurality of reflections of the laser beam having the same range information and intensity of reflection; determine a location of an edge of the hole in the surface based on a departure from the same range information; and correlate a size of the hole in the surface of the path of travel relative to a sample time of the plurality of reflections of the laser beam having the same range information and intensity of reflection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An autonomous vehicle comprising:
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at least a first wheel positioned to contact a surface of a path of travel of the autonomous vehicle; a navigation subsystem including at least one of an inertial navigation system (INS) and a GPS unit disposed on the autonomous vehicle; a laser scanner device disposed on the autonomous vehicle, the laser scanner device including; an optical source configured to emit a laser beam; a solid-state liquid crystal waveguide configured to steer the laser beam from the optical source over a field of regard of the laser scanner device according to a discrete scan pattern, the surface of the path of travel of the autonomous vehicle being within the field of regard of the laser scanner device; and a range detector that generates range information based on receiving a reflection of the laser beam and determines an intensity of the reflection of the laser beam; and at least one processor operatively connected to the solid-state liquid crystal waveguide and to the range detector and configured to; estimate a position of the at least first wheel; define the discrete scan pattern responsive to analyzing at least one of terrain information, vehicle information, information from the at least one of the INS and the GPS unit, and an estimate of the path of travel of the autonomous vehicle, the discrete scan pattern covering at least the surface of the path of travel at the estimated position of the at least first wheel; direct the solid-state liquid crystal waveguide to steer the laser beam over the field of regard according to the discrete scan pattern; identify an indicator of at least one hole in the surface of the path of travel based on a discontinuity in the intensity of the reflection of the laser beam and the range information, wherein the discontinuity is established by a plurality of reflections of the laser beam, over different angles of return, each of the plurality of reflections of the laser beam having the same range information and intensity of reflection; determine a location of an edge of the hole in the surface based on a departure from the same range information; and correlate a size of the hole in the surface of the path of travel relative to a sample time of the plurality of reflections of the laser beam having the same range information and intensity of reflection. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of detecting a hole in a surface of a path of travel of an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
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emitting, by an optical source, a laser beam; directing, by a solid-state liquid crystal waveguide, the laser beam over a scan area, including a surface of a path of travel of an autonomous vehicle and, within a field of regard, according to a discrete scan pattern; estimating a position of one or more portions of the autonomous vehicle that contact the surface of the path of travel; defining, by at least one processor, the discrete scan pattern to cover at least the surface of the path of travel at the estimated position of the one or more portions of the autonomous vehicle that contact the surface of the path of travel; receiving, with a range detector, a plurality of reflections of the laser beam from the scan area over different angles of return; processing, with the at least one processor, the plurality of reflections of the laser beam to determine range data and intensity information; identifying, by the at least one processor, at least one hole in the surface of the path of travel based on a discontinuity in the range data and the intensity information, wherein the discontinuity is established by each of the plurality of reflections of the laser beam having the same range data and intensity of reflection; determining a location of an edge of the hole in the surface based on a departure from the same range data; and correlating a size of the hole in the surface of the path of travel relative to a sample time of the plurality of reflections of the laser beam having the same range data and intensity of reflection. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification