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Functions of Environment Sensing Subsystem I/O Data of Environment Sensing Subsystem I/O Data of Environment Sensing Subsystem’s AI Modules
Reference Architecture of Environment Sensing Subsystem Functions of Environment Sensing Subsystem’s AI Modules

 

7.1        Functions of Environment Sensing Subsystem

The Environment Sensing Subsystem (ESS):

  1. Uses all Subsystem devices to acquire as much as possible information from the Environment in the form of electromagnetic and acoustic data.
  2. Receives an initial estimate of the Ego CAV’s Spatial Attitude and Environment Data (e.g., temperature, pressure, humidity, etc.) from the Motion Actuation Subsystem.
  3. Produces a sequence of Basic Environment Representations (BER) for the duration of the travel.
  4. Passes the Basic Environment Representations to the Autonomous Motion Subsystem.

7.2        Reference Architecture of Environment Sensing Subsystem

Figure 4 gives the Environment Sensing Subsystem Reference Model.

 

Figure 4 – Environment Sensing Subsystem Reference Model

 

The typical sequence of operations of the Environment Sensing Subsystem AIW is:

  1. Spatial Attitude Generation computes the CAV’s Spatial Attitude using the initial Spatial Attitude provided by the Motion Actuation Subsystem and the GNSS.
  2. Environment Sensing Technology (EST)Produce – specific stream of data.
  3. Produce Environment Sensing Technology (EST)-specific Scene Descriptors, e.g., the RADAR Scene Descriptors.
  4. Access the Basic Environment Representation at a previous time interval to produce the EST-specific Scene Description.
  5. Integrate the Scene Descriptors from different Environment Sensing Technologies into the time-dependent Basic Environment Representation that includes Alert information.

 

Figure 4 assumes that Traffic Signalisation Recognition produces the Road Topology by analysing Camera Data. The model of Figure 4 can easily by extended to the case where Data from other ESTs is processed to compute or help compute the Road Topology.

Figure 4 assumes that Environment Sensing Technologies are individually processed. An implementation may create a single Scene Descriptors for two or more ESTs.

7.3       I/O Data of Environment Sensing Subsystem

The currently considered Environment Sensing Technologies (EST) are:

  1. Global navigation satellite system or GNSS (~1 & 1.5 GHz Radio).
  2. Geographical position and orientation, and their time derivatives up to 2nd order (Spatial Attitude).
  3. Visual Data in the visible range, possibly supplemented by depth information (400 to 700 THz).
  4. LiDAR Data (~200 THz infrared).
  5. RADAR Data (~25 & 75 GHz).
  6. Ultrasound Data (> 20 kHz).
  7. Audio Data in the audible range (16 Hz to 16 kHz).
  8. Spatial Attitude (from the Motion Actuation Subsystem).
  9. Other environmental data (temperature, humidity, …).

 

Table 6 gives the input/output data of the Environment Sensing Subsystem.

 

Table 7 – I/O data of Environment Sensing Subsystem

 

Input data From Comment
Radar Data ~25 & 75 GHz Radio Capture Environment with Radar
Lidar Data ~200 THz infrared Capture Environment with Lidar
Camera Data (2/D and 3D) Video (400-800 THz) Capture Environment with Cameras
Ultrasound Data Audio (>20 kHz) Capture Environment with Ultrasound
Offline Mapa Data Local storage cm-level data at time of capture
Audio Data Audio (16 Hz-16 kHz) Capture Environment or cabin with Microphone Array
Microphone Array Geometry Microphone Array Microphone Array disposition
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Data ~1 & 1.5 GHz Radio Get Pose from GNSS
Spatial Attitude Motion Actuation Subsystem To be fused with GNSS data
Other Environment Data Motion Actuation Subsystem Temperature etc. added to Basic Environment Representation
Output data To Comment
Alert Autonomous Motion Subsystem Critical last minute Environment Description from EST (in BER)
Basic Environment Representation Autonomous Motion Subsystem ESS-derived representation of external Environment

7.4        Functions of Environment Sensing Subsystem’s AI Modules

Table 7 gives the functions of all AIMs of the Environment Sensing Subsystem.

 

Table 8 – Functions of Environment Sensing Subsystem’s AI Modules

 

AIM Function
RADAR Scene Description Produces RADAR Scene Descriptors from RADAR Data
LiDAR Scene Description Produces LiDAR Scene Descriptors from LiDAR Data
Traffic Signalisation Recognition Produces Road Topology of the Environment from Camera and LiDAR Data.
Camera Scene Description Produces Camera Scene Descriptors from Camera Data
Ultrasound Scene Description Produces Ultrasound Scene Descriptors from Ultrasound Data.
Online Map Scene Description Produces Online Map Data Scene Descriptors from Online Map Data.
Audio Scene Description Produces Audio Scene Descriptors from Audio Data.
Spatial Attitude Generation Computes the CAV Spatial Attitude using information received from GNSS and Motion Actuation Subsystem with respect to a predetermined point in the CAV defined as the origin (0,0,0) of a set of (x,y,z) Cartesian coordinates with respect to the local coordinates.
Environment Sensing Subsystem Data Fusion Selects critical Environment Representation as Alert; produces CAV’s Basic Environment Representation by fusing the Scene Descriptors of the different ESTs,

The Basic Environment Representation (BER) includes all available information from ESS and MAS that enables the CAV to define a Path in the Decision Horizon Time. The BER results from the integration of:

1.      The different Scene Descriptors generated by the different EST-specific Scene Description AIMs.

2.      Environmental data.

3.      The Spatial Attitude of the Ego CAV as estimated by the Motion Actuation Subsystem.

 

Figure 5 – Roll, Pitch, and Yaw in a vehicle [6] Figure 6 – Spatial Attitude in a CAV

7.5        I/O Data of Environment Sensing Subsystem’s AI Modules

For each AIM (1st column), Table 8 gives the input (2nd column) and the output data (3rd column) of the Environment Sensing Subsystem.

 

Table 9 – I/O Data of Environment Sensing Subsystem’s AI Modules

 

AIM Input Output
Radar Scene Description Radar Data

Basic Environment Representation

 Radar Scene Descriptors
Lidar Scene Description Lidar Data

Basic Environment Representation

 Lidar Scene Descriptors
Traffic Signalisation Recognition Camera Data

Basic Environment Representation

 Road Topology
Camera Scene Description Camera Data

Basic Environment Representation

 Lidar Scene Descriptors
Ultrasound Scene Description Ultrasound Data

Basic Environment Representation

 Ultrasound Scene Descriptors
Map Scene Description Offline Map Data

Basic Environment Representation

 Map Scene Descriptors
Audio Scene Description Audio Data

Basic Environment Representation

 Audio Scene Descriptors
Spatial Attitude Generation GNSS Data

Spatial Attitude form MAS

 Spatial Attitude
Environment Sensing Subsystem Data Fusion RADAR Scene Descriptors

LiDAR Scene Descriptors

Road Topology

Lidar Scene Descriptors

Ultrasound Scene Descriptors

Map Scene Descriptors

Audio Scene Descriptors

Spatial Attitude

Other Environment Data

 Basic Environment Representation

Alert

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