Automated detection of sensor miscalibration
AssigneeZoox, Inc.
InventorDavid Pfeiffer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle control system includes various sensors. The system can include, among others, LIDAR, RADAR, SONAR, cameras, microphones, GPS, and infrared systems for monitoring and detecting environmental conditions. In some implementations, one or more of these sensors may become miscalibrated. Using data collected by the sensors, the system can detect a miscalibrated sensor and generate an indication that one or more sensors have become miscalibrated. For example, data captured by a sensor can be processed to determine an average height represented by the sensor data and compared to an average height of data captured by other sensors. Based on a difference in heights, an indication can be generated identifying a miscalibrated sensor.
Claims20
A method for detecting a miscalibrated sensor, the method comprising:
- capturing sensor data of an environment using a plurality of sensors disposed about an autonomous vehicle, the sensor data comprising first light detecting and ranging (LIDAR) data associated with a first LIDAR sensor, second LIDAR data associated with a second LIDAR sensor, and third LIDAR data associated with a third LIDAR sensor;
- determining a region associated with a ground surface of the environment;
- determining, as region data, a subset of data of the sensor data associated with the region;
- determining that the region data corresponds to a flat surface;
- determining a first average height of a first subset of the region data associated with a first portion of the region, the first subset comprising first data associated with the first LIDAR data;
- determining a second average height of a second subset of the region data associated with a second portion of the region, wherein at least a part of the first portion is different than the second portion, the second subset comprising second data associated with the second LIDAR data and the third LIDAR data;
- determining a difference between the first average height and the second average height;
- determining that the difference meets or exceeds a threshold height value;
- and
- generating an indication that a sensor is miscalibrated.
A system comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- one or more computer-readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors, wherein executing the instructions causes the system to:
- receive sensor data of an environment from a plurality of sensors disposed about a vehicle;
- determine, as region data, a subset of data of the sensor data associated with a region of the environment proximate the vehicle;
- determine a first average height of a first subset of the region data associated with a first portion of the region, the first subset captured by a first sensor of the plurality of sensors;
- determine a second average height of a second subset of the region data associated with a second portion of the region, wherein at least a part of the first portion is different than the second portion, the second subset captured by at least a second sensor and a third sensor of the plurality of sensors;
- determine a difference between the first average height and the second average height;
- determine that the difference meets or exceeds a threshold;
- and
- generate an indication that the first sensor is miscalibrated.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
- capturing sensor data of an environment using a plurality of sensors of a vehicle;
- determining, as region data, a subset of data of the sensor data associated with a region of the environment proximate the vehicle;
- determining a first average height of a first subset of the region data associated with a first portion of the region, the first subset associated with a first sensor of the plurality of sensors;
- determining a second average height of a second subset of the region data associated with a second portion of the region, wherein at least a part of the first portion is different than the second portion, the second subset associated with a second sensor of the plurality of sensors;
- determining a difference between the first average height and the second average height;
- determining that the difference meets or exceeds a threshold value;
- and
- generating an indication that a sensor of plurality of sensors is miscalibrated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.