Apparatus, method and article to facilitate motion planning in an environment having dynamic objects

US12204336B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Duke University · US
• Brown University · US

Inventors

• Daniel Sorin · Durham, US
• William Floyd-Jones · Boston, US
• Sean Murray · Durham, US
• George Konidaris · Boston, US
• William Walker · Durham, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 4, 2019
• Grant date: Jan 21, 2025
• Expiry date: Aug 9, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05D1/648
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A motion planner of a computer system of a primary agent, e.g., an autonomous vehicle, uses reconfigurable collision detection architecture hardware to perform a collision assessment on a planning graph for the primary agent prior to execution of a motion plan. For edges on the planning graph, which represent transitions in states of the primary agent, the system sets a probability of collision with another agent, e.g., a dynamic object, in the environment based at least in part on the collision assessment. Depending on whether the goal of the primary agent is to avoid or collide with a particular dynamic object in the environment, the system then performs an optimization to identify a path in the resulting planning graph with either a relatively low or relatively high potential of a collision with the particular dynamic object. The system then causes the actuator system of the primary agent to implement a motion plan with the applicable identified path based at least in part on the optimization.