METHOD FOR THE AUTONOMOUS LOCALIZATION OF A DRIVERLESS, MOTORIZED VEHICLE
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Abstract
A range-measuring sensor is arranged on a vehicle. The direction of measurement or plane of measurement of the sensor can be altered by driving a sensor motor. A map of the environment is produced by using natural landmarks. A predetermined route along which the vehicle is intended to move is stipulated. Landmarks which can serve as a localization aid along the predetermined route are determined. The environment is scanned at different times by using the sensor in order to detect the previously determined landmarks while the vehicle is moving along the predetermined route. The vehicle is localized by comparing the detected landmarks with the landmarks recorded on the map. The sensor motor is actively controlled, at least in areas of the environment with only a few previously determined landmarks, such that the sensor is oriented to these landmarks in order to ensure that they are detected.
35 Citations
16 Claims
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1-6. -6. (canceled)
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7. A method for the autonomous localization of a driverless motorized vehicle within a known environment, comprising:
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using a sensor arranged on the vehicle for range-measuring; changing at least one of a measurement direction and a measurement plane of the sensor by controlling a sensor motor; obtaining a map of the environment, the map having natural landmarks recorded thereon, the map having a densely populated area with more natural landmarks and a sparsely populated area with fewer natural landmarks; stipulating a pre-determined route along which the vehicle is to move; identifying landmarks along the pre-determined route, to serve as localization aids; scanning the environment at different points in time, while the vehicle is moving along the pre-determined route, the environment being scanned using the sensor to detect the landmarks along the pre-determined route; and localizing the vehicle by comparing the landmarks identified along the pre-determined route with the landmarks recorded on the map; actively controlling a speed and/or a rotation direction of the sensor motor at least while the vehicle is moving in the sparsely populate area such that the sensor is oriented toward the landmarks in the sparsely populated area, in order to ensure detection of the landmarks in the sparsely populated area. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification