Resilient safety system for a robotic vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017120902-A1
Application number	US-201514932952-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 4, 2015
Priority date	Nov 4, 2015
Publication date	May 4, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, and methods implemented in algorithms, software, firmware, logic, or circuitry may be configured to process data and sensory input in real-time to determine whether an object external to an autonomous vehicle may be a potential collision threat to the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be configured to deploy one or more bladders positioned external to the autonomous vehicle to absorb forces from an impact to the vehicle by the object. A perception system of the vehicle may receive a sensor signal and generate object data associated with the object. A planner system of the vehicle may process the object data to predict an impact time and an impact location on the vehicle. The planner system may cause a drive system of the vehicle to maneuver the vehicle to position an impact-absorbing structure and/or one or more bladders of the vehicle to coincide with the predicted impact location.

First claim

1 . A method for robotic vehicle safety system activation, comprising:
calculating, based at least in part on a location of an autonomous vehicle in an environment, a current trajectory of the autonomous vehicle; determining a location of an object in the environment; determining, from a plurality of object classifications, an object classification of the object; calculating a predictive rate of motion of the object based at least in part on the object classification; generating, based at least in part on the predictive rate of motion, a predicted object path of the object in the environment; predicting probabilities of impact between the object and the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the predicted object path and the trajectory of the autonomous vehicle; calculating, based at least in part on the probabilities of impact, data representing a predicted point of impact of the object with the autonomous vehicle; and maneuvering, based at least in part on the predicted point of impact, the autonomous vehicle to a preferred point of impact with the object.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting, from a plurality of safety systems, a first safety system to activate based at least in part on one or more of the probabilities of impact and a first distance between the object and the autonomous vehicle or the object classification, wherein the object classification is one of a pedestrian classification, a car classification, or an infrastructure classification; and activating the first safety system of the autonomous vehicle.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising activating a second safety system of the autonomous vehicle based at least in part a second distance between the object and the autonomous vehicle.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of safety systems include a bladder system, a crumple zone, a light emitter, and an acoustic array.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, based at least in part on the predicted ration of motion, when the object has a dynamic object track and when the object has a static object track.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising deploying a bladder based at least in part on the probabilities of impact, the bladder positioned external to the autonomous vehicle and configured to expand from an un-deployed position to a deployed position.

7 - 8 . (canceled)

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising activating an interior safety system of the autonomous vehicle, wherein activating the interior safety system comprises:
selecting a seat belt positioned in an interior of the autonomous vehicle, the seat belt including a seat belt and a seat belt tensioning system mechanically coupled with the seat belt; and increasing, using the seat belt tensioning system, a tension to the seat belt.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing a bladder positioned external to the autonomous vehicle to return to an un-deployed position from a deployed position.

11 - 17 . (canceled)

18 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:
activating, prior to the maneuvering, an exterior safety system of the autonomous vehicle, wherein activating the exterior safety system includes: selecting, from a plurality of light emitters, a light emitter to provide a visual alert; and causing the light emitter to provide the visual alert by emitting light indicative of the light pattern into the environment.

19 . (canceled)

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the maneuvering comprises:
orienting, by a steering system of the autonomous vehicle, wheels of the autonomous vehicle to an orientation configured to rotate the autonomous vehicle about an axis of the autonomous vehicle; and rotating, by a propulsion system of the autonomous vehicle, the wheels of the autonomous vehicle to rotate the autonomous vehicle to the preferred point of impact.

21 . A system for robotic vehicle safety system activation, comprising:
sensors operative to generate sensor data for an autonomous vehicle; safety systems operative to provide one more safety features for the autonomous vehicle, the safety systems including an interior safety system and an exterior safety system; and one or more processors configured to perform actions, including:
determining, based at least in part on a portion of the sensor data, a location of the autonomous vehicle in the environment;
calculating, based at least in part on the location of an autonomous vehicle, a current trajectory of the autonomous vehicle;
identifying, based at least in part on a portion of the sensor data, an object within the environment;
determining a location of an object in the environment;
determining, from a plurality of object classifications, an object classification of the object;
generating, based at least in part on the object classification and a predictive rate of motion of the object, a predicted object path of the object in the environment;
predicting probabilities of impact between the object and the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the predicted object path and the trajectory of the autonomous vehicle;
selecting, from the safety systems, one or more safety systems to activate based at least in part on the probabilities of impact; and
activating the one or more of the safety systems.

22 . The system of claim 21 , further comprising:
calculating, based at least in part on the probabilities of impact, data representing a predicted point of impact of the object with the autonomous vehicle; and wherein activating the one or more safety systems includes maneuvering, based at least in part on the predicted point of impact, the autonomous vehicle to a preferred point of impact with the object.

23 . The system of claim 21 , wherein selecting the one or more safety systems is based at least in part on one or more of a first distance between the object and the autonomous vehicle or the object classification.

24 . The system of claim 23 , wherein activating the one or more safety systems includes activating a first safety system based at least in part on the first distance between the object and the autonomous vehicle and activating a second safety system based at least in part a second distance between the object and the autonomous vehicle.

25 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the safety systems include a bladder system, a crumple zone, a light emitter, and an acoustic array, and wherein the plurality of object classifications include a pedestrian classification, a car classification, and an infrastructure classification.

26 . The system of claim 21 , further comprising calculating the predictive rate of motion of the object and determining, based at least in part on the predicted ration of motion, that the object has a dynamic object track.

27 . The system of claim 21 , wherein activating the one or more safety systems includes deploying a bladder that is positioned external to the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the probabilities of impact, the bladder configured to expand from an un-deployed position to a deployed position.

28 . The system of claim 21 , wherein activating the one or more safety systems comprises:
selecting a seat belt positioned in an interior of the autonomous vehicle, the seat belt including a seat belt and a seat belt tensioning system mechanically coupled with the seat belt; and increasing, using the seat belt tensioning system, a tension to the seat belt.

Assignees

• Zoox Inc

Inventors

• Kentley Timothy David
• Gamara Rachad Youssef
• Behere Sagar

Classifications

• G08G1/166

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title

• B60W2554/00

  Input parameters relating to objects · CPC title

• B60Q5/006

  indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians · CPC title

• B60R19/205

  inflatable in the direction of an obstacle upon impending impact, e.g. using air bags · CPC title

• G08G1/165

  for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees · CPC title