Collision Imminent Steering Control Systems and Methods

A method of controlling a vehicle to avoid obstacles, the method comprising:

• detecting an obstacle using a sensor coupled to the vehicle, the obstacle being detected to be located at a distance from the vehicle less than an estimated safe braking distance determined by a controller;
• simultaneously calculating a predicted optimal vehicle path around the obstacle and a steering sequence determined to follow the predicted optimal vehicle path around the obstacle using feedback received by the controller;
• and
• adjusting a steering mechanism of the vehicle to alter a vehicle trajectory based upon the steering sequence determined to follow the calculated predicted optimal vehicle path around the obstacle.

A vehicle comprising:

• a plurality of wheels adjustably controlled by a steering mechanism used to determine a vehicle trajectory;
• and
• a collision imminent steering control system comprising a controller in electrical communication with the steering mechanism, the controller being configured to incrementally adjust the vehicle trajectory when an obstacle is detected, by a sensor coupled to the vehicle, at a distance from the vehicle less than an estimated safe braking distance;
• wherein the controller incrementally adjusts the vehicle trajectory using the steering mechanism to follow a predicted optimal path around the obstacle and a steering sequence determined to follow the predicted optimal path around the obstacle calculated by the controller using real-time feedback.