Autonomous vehicle with electronic device and method for automated obstacle mapping for autonomous vehicle

An autonomous vehicle, comprising:

• a sensor array comprising at least one sensor configured to detect one or more objects in an environment;
• a steering control system;
• a speed control system;
• a vehicle control unit communicatively coupled with the sensor array;
• an electronic device coupled to the vehicle control unit, the electronic device configured to:
• receive sensor data from the sensor array through the vehicle control unit;
• transmit navigation commands based on a digital map to the vehicle control unit for controlling autonomous operation of the autonomous vehicle, the electronic device comprising:
• a processor;
• and
• a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to:
• detect one or more objects during operation of the autonomous vehicle using the received sensor data;
• generate one or more virtual boundaries corresponding to the one or more detected objects;
• analyze predefined physical attributes of the one or more detected objects to distinguish between permanent obstacles and temporary obstacles;
• selectively identify the permanent obstacles for inclusion in a digital map used by the autonomous vehicle for navigation based on the analyzed predefined physical attributes;
• and
• transform the one or more virtual boundaries indicative of the identified permanent obstacles into geo-referenced coordinates.

A method for automated obstacle mapping for an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

• acquiring sensor data from a sensor array coupled to an autonomous vehicle during operation of the autonomous vehicle;
• detecting one or more objects based on the acquired sensor data;
• generating one or more virtual boundaries indicative of the one or more detected objects;
• analyzing predefined physical attributes of the one or more detected objects to distinguish between permanent obstacles and temporary obstacles;
• selectively identifying the permanent obstacles for inclusion in a digital map used by the autonomous vehicle for navigation based on the analyzed predefined physical attributes;
• transforming the one or more virtual boundaries indicative of the permanent obstacles into geo-referenced coordinates;
• transmitting the geo-referenced coordinates to a base station based on a predefined set of triggers;
• and
• receiving an updated digital map from the base station incorporating the permanent obstacles, wherein the updated digital map enables autonomous navigation with improved obstacle avoidance capabilities by incorporating accurately geo-referenced permanent obstacles.