Collaborative sensing with LiDAR in automated vehicles

Abstract

In recent years, traditional car manufacturers as well as other technology companies have been developing vehicles with an increasing number of automated functions. Their ultimate goal is to create an affordable, fully autonomous vehicle. One key element of autonomous vehicles is their ability to sense their surroundings. This can be done with the vehicle’s own sensors but their capabilities in various scenarios can be limited. One way to tackle this problem is to exchange the sensory data between vehicles, thus improving the perception abilities of the vehicles. The method of exchanging sensory data is called collaborative sensing.

This thesis studied the different elements of collaborative sensing in automated vehicles. The work was carried out at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. A collaborative sensing software was implemented on VTT’s two automated vehicles. The implementation utilized ranging laser scanners, LiDARs, to gather information about the vehicles’ environment. Various communication methods were tested to enable the collaborative characteristics of the system.

Essential information was gathered about the LiDAR and the various communication methods. Two software test platforms were developed as well as an independent positioning module that was used in the collaborative sensing implementation. The sensor system was also tested in various weather conditions and two inventions reports were submitted regarding the use of LiDARs in adverse weather.