SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AVOIDING CONTACT BETWEEN AUTONOMOUS AND MANNED VEHICLES CAUSED BY LOSS OF TRACTION

• Main Authors: SCHULTZ, ERIC J, WALLSTEDT, PHILIP C, KIRSCH, KARL A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 19.03.2021
• Subjects: CONTROLLING; PHYSICS; REGULATING; SIGNALLING; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS

A control system for preventing vehicle collisions may include a vehicle location determination module (212), a terrain determination module (222), a terrain surface coefficient of friction estimation module (224), and a sensing system configured to generate signals indicative of vehicle speed, vehicle pose, vehicle size, vehicle weight, vehicle tire type, vehicle load, vehicle gear ratio, weather characteristics, and road conditions for a vehicle operating at a job site. A manned vehicle trajectory determination module (210) may receive location information and plot a first travel path (142) for a manned vehicle (140) based at least in part on a location, heading, and speed of the manned vehicle (140) and a desired destination for the manned vehicle (140). An autonomous vehicle trajectory determination module (220) may receive location information, terrain information, and terrain surface coefficient of friction information, plot a second travel path (122) for an autonomous vehicle (120), and determine projected slide trajectories (132, 134, 136, 138) for the autonomous vehicle (120) at successive positions along the second travel path (122) where the autonomous vehicle (120) is predicted to lose traction based at least in part on signals received from the sensing system.