JPH04253203A - Front obstacle detecting system for automatic traveling vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To establish the front obstacle detecting system of simple configuration which projects the laser beam of a slit light source and can easily judge the possibility of passage only at a place receiving scattered light reflected back from the front. CONSTITUTION:At the front parts of plural automatic traveling vehicles 1, laser sheet beam projectors 2 are provided to emit laser sheet beams by utilizing the slit light sources of laser beams and in front of those vehicles, spaces partitioned by laser sheet beams are formed as detecting areas 41. While moving forward, the automatic traveling vehicle 1 photodetects the forward scene of a photodetecting view including the detecting area 41 by a camera image pickup device 3 and according to whether any front obstacle is photodetected in the detecting area 41 or not, it is judged whether the front obstacle disabling the passage of the automatic traveling vehicle 1 is existent or not.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for detecting an obstacle in front of an automatic vehicle, and more particularly to a method for detecting an obstacle in front of an automatic vehicle to prevent a collision with an obstacle in front of the vehicle.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to prevent collisions of autonomous vehicles such as automobiles, a method of checking whether there are any obstacles nearby using a distance sensor or the like has often been used.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] With the conventional collision prevention methods described above, it is difficult to judge whether or not an autonomous vehicle can enter a place such as a tunnel. Furthermore, in order to make this possible, there is a drawback in that a complicated three-dimensional measuring instrument that can measure detailed measurement points must be used.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] The forward obstacle detection method for an automatic driving vehicle of the present invention includes a plurality of laser sheet light projectors that project laser sheet light using a slit light source of laser light at the front of the automatic driving vehicle. The plurality of laser sheet lights are used to form a detection area that is partitioned to include only the scattered light from obstacles in front of the autonomous vehicle, and the presence or absence of scattered light in the detection area is monitored by a camera imager. It has a configuration that detects obstacles.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is formed by an automatic driving vehicle 1, four laser sheet projectors 2 arranged in front of the automatic driving vehicle 1 and transmitting four laser sheet lights 4, and a laser sheet light 4. The camera imager 3 captures and displays a predetermined light-receiving field of view including a detection area 41.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

[0008] The four laser sheet light projectors 2 form a detection area 41 by partitioning the front three-dimensionally by the four laser sheet lights 4 projected. This detection area can be set arbitrarily depending on the type of autonomous vehicle, operational purpose, etc.
In this embodiment, it is shaped like a pyramid that spreads forward.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the autonomous vehicle 1 moves in a traveling direction 13 with a vehicle edge 11 along a vehicle edge passing line 5.

[0010] Ahead in the direction of travel are an obstacle 7 in front of the automatic vehicle 1 and an object 8 in front that does not pose an obstacle to the vehicle's travel.

[0011] The impassable front obstacle 7 has a part protruding toward the vehicle body when the automatic driving vehicle 1 moves along the vehicle body edge passing line 5, and the protruding part is a laser sheet. It is irradiated with the output laser sheet light of the light projector 2, passes through the front obstacle 7 scattered light route 9, and is received by the camera light receiving surface 6 of the camera imager 3. This state occurs at least once before the autonomous vehicle 1 collides with the obstacle 7 in front of it.
It always occurs once in a while. Note that the camera lens focal point 12 exists on the front obstacle 7 rate 9.

Further, the scattered light from the passable forward object 8 is reflected outside the vehicle body edge passing line 5, passes through the forward object-8 scattered light route 11, and is received by the camera light receiving surface 6.

These scattered lights are obtained through a pyramid-shaped detection area 41 formed by the laser sheet light 4 shown in FIG. The determination point 10 shown in FIG. 2 is the reception point of scattered light due to the boundary of this detection area 41. In the case of FIG. The scattered light that has followed the forward obstacle 7 scattered light route 9 is received above and inside this determination point 10, and is received either inside or outside of the light receiving point. Depending on this, it can be determined whether the scattered light is caused by the forward obstacle 7 or the forward object 8, and thereby a collision with the forward obstacle 7 can be avoided.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the light receiving field of view of the camera imager 3.

The camera field of view 13 in FIG. 3 shows the light receiving field by the camera imager 3, and the detection area 41a is the light receiving field corresponding to the detection area 41 shown in FIG. 1, and the boundary between these two fields of view is the passability determination boundary. It is 14. Therefore, as long as the detection area 41a does not receive scattered light from an obstacle ahead, the automatic vehicle 1 can safely travel with the obstacle 7 in front absent or avoided.

[0016] In the above-described embodiment, the automatic driving vehicle 1
Although we have taken as an example a front obstacle with consideration given to the aspect of the vehicle, this is just one example, and it is clear that the same implementation can be applied to a front obstacle in any direction.

[0017]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, the front in the traveling direction is partitioned by a slit light source of laser light to form a front obstacle detection area, and the scattered light of the front obstacle is captured and received. As a result, it is possible to easily detect an obstacle in front of an autonomous vehicle only at the location where the scattered light is received, and to realize a system for detecting an obstacle in front of an autonomous vehicle with a simple configuration that can confirm whether the obstacle can be passed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

3 is an explanatory diagram of a light receiving field of view of the camera imager 3 of FIG. 1. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Self-driving car 2 Laser sheet floodlight 3 Camera imager 4 Laser sheet light 5 Vehicle edge passing line 6 Camera light receiving surface 7. Front obstacle 8. Front object 9 Forward obstacle scattered light route 10 Judgment points 11 Forward object scattered light route 12 Camera lens focus 13 Camera field of view 14 Passability determination boundary 41, 41a Detection area

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A plurality of laser sheet light projectors that project laser sheet light using a slit light source of laser light are provided at the front of an automatic driving vehicle, and the plurality of laser sheet lights are used to illuminate objects in front of the automatic driving vehicle. A forward obstacle detection system for an autonomous vehicle, characterized in that a sensing area partitioned to contain only scattered light is formed, and the forward obstacle is detected while monitoring the presence or absence of scattered light in the sensing area with a camera imager. method.