On Time-optimal Trajectories for a Car-like Robot with One Trailer

In addition to the theoretical value of challenging optimal control problmes, recent progress in autonomous vehicles mandates further research in optimal motion planning for wheeled vehicles. Since current numerical optimal control techniques suffer from either the curse of dimens ionality, e.g. the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation, or the curse of complexity, e.g. pseudospectral optimal control and max-plus methods, analytical characterization of geodesics for wheeled vehicles becomes important not only from a theoretical point of view but also from a prac tical one. Such an analytical characterization provides a fast motion planning algorithm that can be used in robust feedback loops. In this work, we use the Pontryagin Maximum Principle to characterize extremal trajectories, i.e. candidate geodesics, for a car-like robot with one trailer. We use time as the distance function. In spite of partial progress, this problem has remained open in the past two decades. Besides straight motion and turn with maximum allowed curvature, we identify planar elastica as the third piece of motion that occurs along our extr emals. We give a detailed characterization of such curves, a special case of which, called \emph{merging curve}, connects maximum curvature turns to straight line segments. The structure of extremals in our case is revealed through analytical integration of the system and adjoint equations

A Tightly Coupled Bi-Level Coordination Framework for CAVs at Road Intersections

Since the traffic administration at road intersections determines the capacity bottleneck of modern transportation systems, intelligent cooperative coordination for connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs) has shown to be an effective solution. In this paper, we try to formulate a Bi-Level CAV intersection coordination framework, where coordinators from High and Low levels are tightly coupled. In the High-Level coordinator where vehicles from multiple roads are involved, we take various metrics including throughput, safety, fairness and comfort into consideration. Motivated by the time consuming space-time resource allocation framework in [1], we try to give a low complexity solution by transforming the complicated original problem into a sequential linear programming one. Based on the "feasible tunnels" (FT) generated from the High-Level coordinator, we then propose a rapid gradient-based trajectory optimization strategy in the Low-Level planner, to effectively avoid collisions beyond High-level considerations, such as the pedestrian or bicycles. Simulation results and laboratory experiments show that our proposed method outperforms existing strategies. Moreover, the most impressive advantage is that the proposed strategy can plan vehicle trajectory in milliseconds, which is promising in realworld deployments. A detailed description include the coordination framework and experiment demo could be found at the supplement materials, or online at https://youtu.be/MuhjhKfNIOg

Validation of robotic navigation strategies in unstructured environments: from autonomous to reactive

The main topic of this master thesis is the validation of a navigation algorithm designed to perform autonomously in unstructured environments. Computer simulations and experimental tests with a mobile robot have allowed reaching the established objective. The presented approach is effective, consistent, and able to attain safe navigation with static and dynamic configurations. This work contains a survey of the principal navigation strategies and components. Afterwards, a recap of the history of robotics is briefly illustrated, emphasizing the description of mobile robotics and locomotion. Subsequently, it presents the development of an algorithm for autonomous navigation through an unknown environment for mobile robots. The algorithm seeks to compute trajectories that lead to a target unknown position without falling into a recurrent loop. The code has been entirely written and tested in MATLAB, using randomly generated obstacles of different sizes. The developed algorithm is used as a benchmark to analyze different predictive strategies for the navigation of mobile robots in the presence of environments not known a priori and overpopulated with obstacles. Then, an innovative algorithm for navigation, called NAPVIG, is described and analyzed. The algorithm has been built using ROS and tested in Gazebo real-time simulator. In order to achieve high performances, optimal parameters have been found tuning and simulating the algorithm in different environmental configurations. Finally, an experimental campaign in the SPARCS laboratory of the University of Padua enabled the validation of the chosen parameters

A distributed approach for safe kinodynamic motion planning in multi-robot systems, based on a Social Force Model

This work deals with the design of a real-time system able to solve the problem of planning collision-free motions for multiple robot vehicles that operate in the same, partially-observable environment. In robotics this problem has a wide literature and a lot of solutions were found. One of these systems uses the coordination of robots in a distributed manner even considering the kinodynamic time constraints. The system proposed in this work uses an hybrid architecture using the Social Force Model for dealing with human presence. We used a general purpose robotic operating system developed by Willow Garage, called RO

A systematic literature review on the relationship between autonomous vehicle technology and traffic-related mortality.

학위논문(석사) -- 서울대학교대학원 : 행정대학원 글로벌행정전공, 2023. 2. 최태현.The society is anticipated to gain a lot from Autonomous Vehicles (AV), such as improved traffic flow and a decrease in accidents. They heavily rely on improvements in various Artificial Intelligence (AI) processes and strategies. Though some researchers in this field believe AV is the key to enhancing safety, others believe AV creates new challenges when it comes to ensuring the security of these new technology/systems and applications. The article conducts a systematic literature review on the relationship between autonomous vehicle technology and traffic-related mortality. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, articles from EBSCO, ProQuest, IEEE Explorer, Web of Science were chosen, and they were then sorted. The findings reveal that the most of these publications have been published in advanced transport-related journals. Future improvements in the automobile industry and the development of intelligent transportation systems could help reduce the number of fatal traffic accidents. Technologies for autonomous cars provide effective ways to enhance the driving experience and reduce the number of traffic accidents. A multitude of driving-related problems, such as crashes, traffic, energy usage, and environmental pollution, will be helped by autonomous driving technology. More research is needed for the significant majority of the studies that were assessed. They need to be expanded so that they can be tested in real-world or computer-simulated scenarios, in better and more realistic scenarios, with better and more data, and in experimental designs where the results of the proposed strategy are compared to those of industry standards and competing strategies. Therefore, additional study with improved methods is needed. Another major area that requires additional research is the moral and ethical choices made by AVs. Government, policy makers, manufacturers, and designers all need to do many actions in order to deploy autonomous vehicles on the road effectively. The government should develop laws, rules, and an action plan in particular. It is important to create more effective programs that might encourage the adoption of emerging technology in transportation systems, such as driverless vehicles. In this regard, user perception becomes essential since it may inform designers about current issues and observations made by people. The perceptions of autonomous car users in developing countries like Azerbaijan haven't been thoroughly studied up to this point. The manufacturer has to fix the system flaw and needs a good data set for efficient operation. In the not-too-distant future, the widespread use of highly automated vehicles (AVs) may open up intriguing new possibilities for resolving persistent issues in current safety-related research. Further research is required to better understand and quantify the significant policy implications of Avs, taking into consideration factors like penetration rate, public adoption, technological advancements, traffic patterns, and business models. It only needs to take into account peer-reviewed, full-text journal papers for the investigation, but it's clear that a larger database and more documents would provide more results and a more thorough analysis.자율주행차(AV)를 통해 교통 흐름이 개선되고 사고가 줄어드는 등 사회가 얻는 것이 많을 것으로 예상된다. 그들은 다양한 인공지능(AI) 프로세스와 전략의 개선에 크게 의존한다. 이 분야의 일부 연구자들은 AV가 안전성을 향상시키는 열쇠라고 믿지만, 다른 연구자들은 AV가 이러한 새로운 기술/시스템 및 애플리케이션의 보안을 보장하는 것과 관련하여 새로운 문제를 야기한다고 믿는다. 이 논문은 자율주행차 기술과 교통 관련 사망률 사이의 관계에 대한 체계적인 문헌 검토를 수행한다. 포함 및 제외 기준에 따라 EBSCO, ProQuest, IEEE Explorer 및 Web of Science의 기사를 선택하고 분류했다.연구 결과는 이러한 출판물의 대부분이 고급 운송 관련 저널에 게재되었음을 보여준다. 미래의 자동차 산업의 개선과 지능형 교통 시스템의 개발은 치명적인 교통 사고의 수를 줄이는 데 도움이 될 수 있다. 자율주행 자동차 기술은 운전 경험을 향상시키고 교통 사고의 수를 줄일 수 있는 효과적인 방법을 제공한다. 충돌, 교통, 에너지 사용, 환경 오염과 같은 수많은 운전 관련 문제들은 자율 주행 기술에 의해 도움을 받을 것이다. 평가된 대부분의 연구에 대해 더 많은 연구가 필요하다. 실제 또는 컴퓨터 시뮬레이션 시나리오, 더 좋고 현실적인 시나리오, 더 좋고 더 많은 데이터, 그리고 제안된 전략 결과가 산업 표준 및 경쟁 전략의 결과와 비교되는 실험 설계에서 테스트될 수 있도록 확장되어야 한다. 따라서 개선된 방법에 대한 추가 연구가 필요하다. 추가 연구가 필요한 또 다른 주요 분야는 AV의 도덕적, 윤리적 선택이다. 정부, 정책 입안자, 제조업체 및 설계자는 모두 자율 주행 차량을 효과적으로 도로에 배치하기 위해 많은 조치를 취해야 한다. 정부는 특히 법, 규칙, 실행 계획을 개발해야 한다. 운전자 없는 차량과 같은 운송 시스템에서 새로운 기술의 채택을 장려할 수 있는 보다 효과적인 프로그램을 만드는 것이 중요하다. 이와 관련하여, 설계자에게 현재 이슈와 사람에 의한 관찰을 알려줄 수 있기 때문에 사용자 인식이 필수적이 된다.제조업체는 시스템 결함을 수정해야 하며 효율적인 작동을 위해 좋은 데이터 세트가 필요하다. 멀지 않은 미래에, 고도로 자동화된 차량(AV)의 광범위한 사용은 현재의 안전 관련 연구에서 지속적인 문제를 해결하기 위한 흥미로운 새로운 가능성을 열어줄 수 있다. 보급률, 공공 채택, 기술 발전, 교통 패턴 및 비즈니스 모델과 같은 요소를 고려하여 Avs의 중요한 정책 영향을 더 잘 이해하고 정량화하기 위한 추가 연구가 필요하다. 조사를 위해 동료 검토를 거친 전문 저널 논문만 고려하면 되지만, 데이터베이스가 커지고 문서가 많아지면 더 많은 결과와 더 철저한 분석이 제공될 것이 분명하다.Abstract 3 Table of Contents 6 List of Tables 7 List of Figures 7 List of Appendix 7 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 8 1.1. Background 8 1.2. Purpose of Research 13 CHAPTER 2: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES 21 2.1. Intelligent Traffic Systems 21 2.2. System Architecture for Autonomous Vehicles 22 2.3. Key components in AV classification 27 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY AND DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE 35 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 39 4.1. RQ1: Do autonomous vehicles reduce traffic-related deaths 40 4.2. RQ2: Are there any challenges to using autonomous vehicles 63 4.3. RQ3: As a developing country, how effective is the use of autonomous vehicles for reducing traffic mortality 72 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 76 5.1. Summary 76 5.2. Implications and Recommendations 80 5.3. Limitation of the study 91 Bibliography 93 List of Tables Table 1: The 6 Levels of Autonomous Vehicles Table 2: Search strings Table 3: Inclusion and exclusion criteria List of Figures Figure 1: Traffic Death Comparison with Europe Figure 2: Research strategy and study selection process List of Appendix Appendix 1: List of selected articles석

FusionPlanner: A Multi-task Motion Planner for Mining Trucks using Multi-sensor Fusion Method

In recent years, significant achievements have been made in motion planning for intelligent vehicles. However, as a typical unstructured environment, open-pit mining attracts limited attention due to its complex operational conditions and adverse environmental factors. A comprehensive paradigm for unmanned transportation in open-pit mines is proposed in this research, including a simulation platform, a testing benchmark, and a trustworthy and robust motion planner. \textcolor{red}{Firstly, we propose a multi-task motion planning algorithm, called FusionPlanner, for autonomous mining trucks by the Multi-sensor fusion method to adapt both lateral and longitudinal control tasks for unmanned transportation. Then, we develop a novel benchmark called MiningNav, which offers three validation approaches to evaluate the trustworthiness and robustness of well-trained algorithms in transportation roads of open-pit mines. Finally, we introduce the Parallel Mining Simulator (PMS), a new high-fidelity simulator specifically designed for open-pit mining scenarios. PMS enables the users to manage and control open-pit mine transportation from both the single-truck control and multi-truck scheduling perspectives.} \textcolor{red}{The performance of FusionPlanner is tested by MiningNav in PMS, and the empirical results demonstrate a significant reduction in the number of collisions and takeovers of our planner. We anticipate our unmanned transportation paradigm will bring mining trucks one step closer to trustworthiness and robustness in continuous round-the-clock unmanned transportation.Comment: 2Pages, 10 figure

Optimization and Mathematical Modelling for Path Planning of Co-operative Intra-logistics Automated Vehicles

Small indoor Autonomous Vehicles have revolutionized the operation of pick-pack-and-ship warehouses. The challenges for path planning and co-operation in this domain stem from uncontrolled environments including workspaces shared with humans and human-operated vehicles. Solutions are needed which scale up to the largest existing sites with thousands of vehicles and beyond. These challenges might be familiar to anyone modelling road traffic control with the introduction of Autonomous Vehicles, but key differences in the level of decision autonomy lead to different approaches to conflict-resolution. This thesis proposes a decomposition of site-wide conflict-free motion planning into individual shortest paths though a roadmap representing the free space across the site, zone-based speed optimization to resolve conflicts in the vicinity of one intersection and individual path optimization for local obstacles. In numerical tests the individual path optimization based on clothoid basis functions created paths traversable by different vehicle configurations (steering rate limit, lateral acceleration limit and wheelbase) only by choosing an appropriate maximum longitudinal speed. Using two clothoid segments per convex region was sufficient to reach any goal, and the problem could be solved reliably and quickly with sequential quadratic programming due to the approximate graph method used to determine a good sequence of obstacle-free regions to the local goal. A design for zone-based intersection management, obtained by minimizing a linear objective subject to quadratic constraints was refined by the addition of a messaging interface compatible with the path adaptations based on clothoids. A new approximation of the differential constraints was evaluated in a multi-agent simulation of an elementary intersection layout. The proposed FIFO ordering heuristic converted the problem into a linear program. Interior point methods either found a solution quickly or showed that the problem was infeasible, unlike a quadratic constraint formulation with ordering flexibility. Subsequent tests on more complex multi-lane intersection geometries showed the quadratic constraint formulation converged to significantly better solutions than FIFO at the cost of longer and unpredictable search time. Both effects were magnified as the number of vehicles increased. To properly address site-wide conflict-free motion planning, it is essential that the local solutions are compatible with each other at the zone boundaries. The intersection management design was refined with new boundary constraints to ensure compatibility and smooth transitions without the need for a backup system. In numerical tests it was found that the additional boundary constraints were sufficient to ensure smooth transitions on an idealized map including two intersections