Tornado detection systems and methods

• Main Authors: Scott Vincent Myers, Iman Soltani Bozchalooi, Alexander Bruder
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 15.08.2018
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; CONTROLLING; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; REGULATING; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TESTING

A method comprises receiving data from a sensor 402, which may be a LIDAR, a radar, or a camera, mounted to a vehicle. The received data is analysed using a deep neural network 404. A tornado detection system in the vehicle determines whether a tornado is identified in the received data 406. When a tornado is identified in the received data, a trajectory of the tornado is determined 410. A path for the vehicle orthogonal to or leading away from the tornado trajectory may be determined. Driving commands to drive the vehicle along the path may be generated 414. Alternatively, a path for the vehicle may be determined based on the trajectory of the tornado, the speed of the tornado, a geographic location of the tornado, and map data. The location and trajectory of the tornado may be reported to nearby vehicles or an infrastructure-based system 416. Audible or visual warnings indicating the tornados existence may be generated. Audible or visual driving instructions to manoeuvre the vehicle to avoid the tornado may be generated.