Autonomous Vehicle Navigation Research Articles

Implementation of Vehicle Detection and Tracking Model Using YOLO and DeepSORT for Controlling Traffic Rule Violation

The field of computer vision has advanced significantly in the last several years, especially in the areas of object tracking and detection. This research offers a thorough analysis of the use of a vehicle tracking and detection model that makes use of DeepSORT (Deep Simple Online and Realtime Tracking) for tracking and YOLOv8 (You Only Look Once version 8) for detection. By combining these state-of-the-art methods, it will be possible to track and identify vehicles in a variety of situations in real-time, improving surveillance and traffic management as well as autonomous vehicle navigation. This project intends to develop computer vision applications in the transportation and surveillance sectors by means of a thorough examination and experimentation.

MF-LIO: Integrating Multi-Feature LiDAR Inertial Odometry with FPFH Loop Closure in SLAM

Abstract Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is a pivotal technology in autonomous vehicle navigation and a significant research area in robotics. Addressing the inaccuracies in point cloud registration of traditional LiDAR SLAM, which lead to localization and mapping errors, we propose a novel LiDAR Inertial Odometry approach integrating IMU and a multi-feature joint registration strategy. Initially, we introduce an innovative ground segmentation method and feature categorization strategy, enhancing ground detection mechanisms and optimizing the feature extraction process. Subsequently, our multi-feature joint registration method computes the pose transformations between current frames and the local map. Finally, we employ a global registration method based on Fast Point Feature Histograms (FPFH) feature descriptors for coarse alignment, providing initial estimates for the Generalized Iterative Closest Point (GICP) algorithm, thus efficiently and accurately mitigating cumulative errors. Extensive evaluations on the KITTI dataset and real-world campus environment demonstrate that our approach significantly surpasses existing advanced LiDAR SLAM solutions, achieving over a 24% improvement in pose estimation accuracy.

Advancements in Deep Learning for Autonomous Driving in Indian Road Conditions

Recent advancements in deep learning techniques tailored for autonomous driving in Indian road conditions are crucial for revolutionizing transportation systems. Indian roads present unique challenges, including unpredictable traffic patterns, diverse road infrastructures, and challenging weather conditions. Deep learning is pivotal in addressing these challenges, focusing on perception, decision-making, and control. Various architectures, including Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), and Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL), are analyzed for their efficacy in autonomous driving. Sensor fusion techniques enhance perception capabilities, such as lidar, radar, and camera data integration. Additionally, advancements in semantic segmentation and object detection algorithms improve scene understanding and obstacle recognition. Collaborative efforts between academia, industry, and government agencies are essential for accelerating the deployment of autonomous driving technology in Indian road conditions. In conclusion, leveraging cutting-edge deep learning methodologies enables safe and efficient navigation of autonomous vehicles, ushering in a transformative future in transportation systems.

Efficient multi-branch segmentation network for situation awareness in autonomous navigation

Real-time and high-precision situational awareness technology is critical for autonomous navigation of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). In particular, robust and fast obstacle semantic segmentation methods are essential. However, distinguishing between the sea and the sky is challenging due to the differences between port and maritime environments. In this study, we built a dataset that captured perspectives from USVs and unmanned aerial vehicles in a maritime port environment and analysed the data features. Statistical analysis revealed a high correlation between the distribution of the sea and sky and row positional information. Based on this finding, a three-branch semantic segmentation network with a row position encoding module (RPEM) was proposed to improve the prediction accuracy between the sea and the sky. The proposed RPEM highlights the effect of row coordinates on feature extraction. Compared to the baseline, the three-branch network with RPEM significantly improved the ability to distinguish between the sea and the sky without significantly reducing the computational speed.

Sensor and sensor fusion technology in autonomous vehicles

The perception and navigation of autonomous vehicles heavily rely on the utilization of sensor technology and the integration of sensor fusion techniques, which play an essential role in ensuring a secure and proficient understanding of the vehicle's environment.This paper highlights the significance of sensors in autonomous vehicles and how sensor fusion techniques enhance their capabilities. Firstly, the paper introduces the different types of sensors commonly used in autonomous vehicles and explains their principles of operation, strengths, and limitations in capturing essential information about the vehicles environment. Next, the paper discusses various sensor fusion algorithms, such as Kalman filters and particle filters. Furthermore, the paper explores the challenges associated with sensor fusion and addresses the issue of handling sensor failures or uncertainties. The benefits of sensor fusion technology in autonomous vehicles are also presented. These include improved perception of the environment, enhanced object recognition and tracking, better trajectory planning, and enhanced safety through redundancy and fault tolerance. Lastly, the paper discusses the advancements and highlights the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to optimize sensor fusion algorithms and improve the overall autonomy of the vehicle. Following thorough analysis, the deduction can be made that sensor and sensor fusion technology assume a critical function in facilitating efficient and secure autonomous vehicle navigation within intricate surroundings.

A Geomagnetic/Odometry Integrated Localization Method for Differential Robot Using Real-Time Sequential Particle Filter.

Geomagnetic matching navigation is extensively utilized for localization and navigation of autonomous robots and vehicles owing to its advantages such as low cost, wide-area coverage, and no cumulative errors. However, due to the influence of magnetometer measurement noise, geomagnetic localization algorithms based on single-point particle filters may encounter mismatches during continuous operation, consequently limiting their long-range localization performance. To address this issue, this paper proposes a real-time sequential particle filter-based geomagnetic localization method. Firstly, this method mitigates the impact of noise during continuous operation while ensuring real-time performance by performing real-time sequential particle filtering. Then, it enhances the long-range positioning accuracy of the method by rectifying the trajectory shape of the odometry through odometry calibration parameters. Finally, by performing secondary matching on the preliminary matching results via the MAGCOM algorithm, the positioning error of the method is further minimized. Experimental results show that the proposed method has higher positioning accuracy compared to related algorithms, resulting in reductions of over 28.58%, 37.11%, and 0.77% in RMSE, max error, and error at the end, respectively.

A semantic SLAM-based method for navigation and landing of UAVs in indoor environments

Autonomous navigation and landing of Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are critical functions towards full intelligence in unknown environments. However, current methods heavily rely on positioning devices or geometric maps, leading to two limitations: (1) UAVs fail to work normally indoors when signals are blocked, and (2) Navigation systems are not capable of achieving high-level decision-making missions. In this paper, we propose a novel and complete framework to realize the autonomous landing of UAVs in unknown indoor scenes based on visual SLAM, semantic segmentation, terrain estimation, and a decision-making model. Firstly, our 3D map is built on top of the visual SLAM system with semantic features, and then multiple types of maps (e.g., texture map, octo-map, grid-map, and semantic topology) are created for different function requirements. To achieve high-level scene understanding, we design a data association rule to fuse semantic features extracted by a deep learning model into the mapping process of topology structure. Next, a terrain estimation strategy is performed in the lightweight grid-map, which is modeled only via low-level elevation representation. Through multiple terrain constraints factor, a few optimized landing sites are selected in safe regions via clustering algorithm. Finally, based on the guidance of semantic topology, we construct a decision-making model for UAV landing that effectively integrates terrain safety, environment perception, and path planning. We perform extensive autonomous landing experiments on multiple indoor scenes from the TUM RGB-D dataset, and the full unknown environment maps are created simultaneously. The experiment proves that the proposed framework can select an optimal landing site for the advanced mission of UAVs effectively.

Digital twin‐based multi‐objective autonomous vehicle navigation approach as applied in infrastructure construction

AbstractThe widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles has generated considerable interest in their autonomous operation, with path planning emerging as a critical aspect. However, existing road infrastructure confronts challenges due to prolonged use and insufficient maintenance. Previous research on autonomous vehicle navigation has focused on determining the trajectory with the shortest distance, while neglecting road construction information, leading to potential time and energy inefficiencies in real‐world scenarios involving infrastructure development. To address this issue, a digital twin‐embedded multi‐objective autonomous vehicle navigation is proposed under the condition of infrastructure construction. The authors propose an image processing algorithm that leverages captured images of the road construction environment to enable road extraction and modelling of the autonomous vehicle workspace. Additionally, a wavelet neural network is developed to predict real‐time traffic flow, considering its inherent characteristics. Moreover, a multi‐objective brainstorm optimisation (BSO)‐based method for path planning is introduced, which optimises total time‐cost and energy consumption objective functions. To ensure optimal trajectory planning during infrastructure construction, the algorithm incorporates a real‐time updated digital twin throughout autonomous vehicle operations. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed model are validated through simulation and comparative studies conducted in diverse scenarios involving road construction. The results highlight the improved performance and reliability of the autonomous vehicle system when equipped with the authors’ approach, demonstrating its potential for enhancing efficiency and minimising disruptions caused by road infrastructure development.

Improved ant colony optimization for safe path planning of AUV

In order to address the autonomous underwater vehicle navigation challenge for dam inspections, with the goal of enabling safe inspections and reliable obstacle avoidance, an improved smooth Ant Colony Optimization algorithm is proposed for path planning. This improved algorithm would optimize the smoothness of the path besides the robustness, avoidance of local optima, and fast computation speed. To achieve the goal of reducing turning time and improving the directional effect of path selection, a corner-turning heuristic function is introduced. Experimental simulation results show that the improved algorithm performs best than other algorithms in terms of path smoothness and iteration stability in path planning.

Development of Local Path Planning Using Selective Model Predictive Control, Potential Fields, and Particle Swarm Optimization

This paper focuses on the real-time obstacle avoidance and safe navigation of autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs). It introduces the Selective MPC-PF-PSO algorithm, which includes model predictive control (MPC), Artificial Potential Fields (APFs), and particle swarm optimization (PSO). This approach involves defining multiple sets of coefficients for adaptability to the surrounding environment. The simulation results demonstrate that the algorithm is appropriate for generating obstacle avoidance paths. The algorithm was implemented on the ROS platform using NVIDIA’s Jetson Xavier, and driving experiments were conducted with a steer-type AGV. Through measurements of computation time and real obstacle avoidance experiments, it was shown to be practical in the real world.

Low-altitude remote sensing-based global 3D path planning for precision navigation of agriculture vehicles - beyond crop row detection

Field path planning provides the basis for the autonomous navigation of agricultural vehicles. Existing path planning approaches are constrained to a 2D plane, disregarding the impact of terrain factors on navigation tasks. Furthermore, these methods generate non-global paths, as evidenced by their inability to accommodate the headland turning area while performing path planning based on the actual crop growth in the farmland. Low-altitude remote sensing technology, characterized by its high spatial resolution, timely data acquisition, and strong terrain perception, holds great potential for application in autonomous navigation. This study aims to integrate low-altitude remote sensing technology with path-planning tasks for agricultural vehicles by constructing oblique photography models of fields. The objective is to achieve global 3D path planning leveraging advanced methodologies rooted in deep learning and image processing. Four main steps were included in the proposed method. Low-altitude remote sensing models of field blocks were constructed first. Secondly, the models were converted to image patches for dataset establishment. Thirdly, primary crop row identification was conducted by semantic segmentation. Finally, global 3D paths covering the farmland and headland areas were generated. Tea fields in hilly areas were used to test the algorithm. Experiments revealed that the proposed method could be adapted to different field shapes, row numbers, row spacing, and vehicle turning radii. The proposed method uses deep learning and image processing as the primary technical tools but goes beyond traditional crop row detection to form a global path-planning strategy. In addition, the elevation information enabled by the 3D detection manner allows agricultural vehicles to gain a comprehensive understanding of both their own position and that of their destination. The dataset and the code are available at: https://github.com/ZeroHeading/Global-3D-path-generation.git.

Traversable map construction and robust localization for unstructured road environments1

Intelligent vehicles require accurate identification of traversable road areas and the ability to provide precise and real-time localization data in unstructured road environments. To address these issues, we propose a system for traversable map construction and robust localization in unstructured road environments based on a priori knowledge. The proposed method performs traversable area segmentation on the LiDAR point cloud and employs a submap strategy to jointly optimize multiple frames of data to obtain a reliable and accurate point cloud map of the traversable area, which is then rasterized and combined with the vehicle kinematic model for global path planning. Then, it integrates priori map information and real-time sensor information to provide confidence and priori constraints to ensure the robustness of localization, and it fuses multi-sensor heterogeneous data to improve real-time localization. Experiments are conducted in a mining environment to evaluate the performance of the proposed method on an unstructured road. The experimental results demonstrate that the traversable map and localization results based on the proposed method can meet the requirements for autonomous vehicle driving on unstructured roads and provide reliable priori foundation and localization information for autonomous vehicle navigation.

Fusion-GRU: A Deep Learning Model for Future Bounding Box Prediction of Traffic Agents in Risky Driving Videos

To ensure the safe and efficient navigation of autonomous vehicles and advanced driving assistance systems in complex traffic scenarios, predicting the future bounding boxes of surrounding traffic agents is crucial. However, simultaneously predicting the future location and scale of target traffic agents from the egocentric view poses challenges because the vehicles’ egomotion causes considerable field-of-view changes. Moreover, in anomalous or risky situations, tracking loss or abrupt motion changes limit the available observation time, requiring learning of cues within a short time window. Existing methods typically use a simple concatenation operation to combine different cues, overlooking their dynamics over time. To address this, this paper introduces the Fusion-Gated Recurrent Unit (Fusion-GRU) network, a novel encoder-decoder architecture for future bounding box localization. Unlike traditional gated recurrent units (GRUs), Fusion-GRU accounts for mutual and complex interactions among input features. Moreover, an intermediary estimator coupled with a self-attention aggregation layer is also introduced to learn sequential dependencies for long-range prediction. Finally, a GRU decoder is employed to predict the future bounding boxes. The proposed method is evaluated on two publicly available datasets, Risky Object Localization and Honda Egocentric Vehicle Intersection. The experimental results showcase the promising performance of the Fusion-GRU, demonstrating its effectiveness in predicting future bounding boxes of traffic agents.

Auxcoformer: Auxiliary and Contrastive Transformer for Robust Crack Detection in Adverse Weather Conditions

Crack detection is integral in civil infrastructure maintenance, with automated robots for detailed inspections and repairs becoming increasingly common. Ensuring fast and accurate crack detection for autonomous vehicles is crucial for safe road navigation. In these fields, existing detection models demonstrate impressive performance. However, they are primarily optimized for clear weather and struggle with occlusions and brightness variations in adverse weather conditions. These problems affect automated robots and autonomous vehicle navigation that must operate reliably in diverse environmental conditions. To address this problem, we propose Auxcoformer, designed for robust crack detection in adverse weather conditions. Considering the image degradation caused by adverse weather conditions, Auxcoformer incorporates an auxiliary restoration network. This network efficiently restores damaged crack details, ensuring the primary detection network obtains better quality features. The proposed approach uses a non-local patch-based 3D transform technique, emphasizing the characteristics of cracks and making them more distinguishable. Considering the connectivity of cracks, we also introduce contrastive patch loss for precise localization. Then, we demonstrate the performance of Auxcoformer, comparing it with other detection models through experiments.

Stable training via elastic adaptive deep reinforcement learning for autonomous navigation of intelligent vehicles

The uncertain stability of deep reinforcement learning training on complex tasks impedes its development and deployment, especially in intelligent vehicles, such as intelligent surface vessels and self-driving cars. Complex and varied environmental states puzzle training of decision-making networks. Here we propose an elastic adaptive deep reinforcement learning algorithm to address these challenges and achieve autonomous navigation in intelligent vehicles. Our method trains the decision-making network over the function and optimization learning stages, in which the state space and action space of autonomous navigation tasks are pruned by choosing classic states and actions to reduce data similarity, facilitating more stable training. We introduce a task-adaptive observed behaviour classification technique in the function learning stage to divide state and action spaces into subspaces and identify classic states and actions. In which the classic states and actions are accumulated as the training dataset that enhances its training efficiency. In the subsequent optimization learning stage, the decision-making network is refined through meticulous exploration and accumulation of datasets. The proposed elastic adaptive deep reinforcement learning enables the decision-making network to effectively learn from complex state and action spaces, leading to more efficient training compared to traditional deep reinforcement learning approaches. Simulation results demonstrate the remarkable effectiveness of our method in training decision-making networks for intelligent vehicles. The findings validate that our method provides reliable and efficient training for decision-making networks in intelligent vehicles. Moreover, our method exhibits stability in training other tasks characterized by continuous state and action spaces.

Covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy based on ensemble of mutations for parking navigation and maneuver of autonomous vehicles

Previous works have demonstrated the use of human-inspired frameworks to address autonomous vehicle parking. In such frameworks, autonomous vehicle parking is formulated as a two-stage optimization problem where the first stage involves the generation of initial waypoints which are consequently used to reduce the autonomous parking task into a local motion planning task. In the second stage, the local motion planning is solved as a classical optimization problem. However, the overall algorithmic performance in the second stage depends on the planning horizon used to formulate the local planning task. In this work, we show first that the state-of-the-art algorithms often employed in the second stage fail with an increase in the planning horizon. Motivated by the need for algorithms that are scalable to different planning horizons, this work proposes Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES) with an ensemble of mutations for the second stage. Specifically, the proposed algorithm features an ensemble of Gaussian- and Cauchy-based mutations to facilitate an efficient blend of both exploitation and exploration that is crucial for both short and long horizons. Furthermore, to handle the associated constraints, Superiority of Feasible (SF) constraint handling technique is incorporated into the proposed algorithm. Performance analysis based on 24 parking missions conducted with planning horizons of 2 and 4 shows that the proposed algorithm is scalable to different planning horizons compared with three commonly employed state-of-the-art algorithms.

Enhancing Autonomous Vehicle Navigation with a Clothoid-Based Lateral Controller

This study introduces an advanced lateral control strategy for autonomous vehicles using a clothoid-based approach integrated with an adaptive lookahead mechanism. The primary focus is on enhancing lateral stability and path-tracking accuracy through the application of Euler spirals for smooth curvature transitions, thereby reducing passenger discomfort and the risk of vehicle rollover. An innovative aspect of our work is the adaptive adjustment of lookahead distance based on real-time vehicle dynamics and road geometry, which ensures optimal path following under varying conditions. A quasi-feedback control algorithm constructs optimal clothoids at each time step, generating the appropriate steering input. A lead filter compensates for the vehicle’s lateral dynamics lag, improving control responsiveness and stability. The effectiveness of the proposed controller is validated through a comprehensive co-simulation using TruckSim® and Simulink®, demonstrating significant improvements in lateral control performance across diverse driving scenarios. Future directions include scaling the controller for higher-speed applications and further optimization to minimize off-track errors, particularly for articulated vehicles.

A framework for improving UAV decision of autonomous navigation from training to application migration under perceptual uncertainty

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) autonomous navigation based on reinforcement learning usually requires training agents in simulation scenarios and then transferring the trained agents to application scenarios. However, due to serious distribution mismatch between the idealized simulation scenario and the application environment and the inevitable uncertainty perception problem of airborne sensors in complex scenarios, the navigation performance of UAV under migration applications is not ideal. This work fully analyzes the factors that affect UAV navigation performance, including algorithm performance, training strategy, and state awareness. Based on the analysis results, this article proposes a framework to improve the autonomous navigation performance of UAVs in the migration process from training to application, which consists of three parts: ‘scenario-perception-algorithm’. In addition, this paper proposes improvement strategies for each part from the perspectives of spatial features, temporal features, and perceptual denoising. We combine the proposed framework with navigation algorithms to improve the navigation decision-making performance of UAVs in migration applications under uncertainty perception. Many simulation experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework and its robustness to uncertainty perception.

Trajectory optimization with hybrid probabilistic roadmap approach to achieve time efficient navigation of unmanned vehicles in unstructured environment

PurposeThis paper aims to focus on solving the path optimization problem by modifying the probabilistic roadmap (PRM) technique as it suffers from the selection of the optimal number of nodes and deploy in free space for reliable trajectory planning.Design/methodology/approachTraditional PRM is modified by developing a decision-making strategy for the selection of optimal nodes w.r.t. the complexity of the environment and deploying the optimal number of nodes outside the closed segment. Subsequently, the generated trajectory is made smoother by implementing the modified Bezier curve technique, which selects an optimal number of control points near the sharp turns for the reliable convergence of the trajectory that reduces the sum of the robot’s turning angles.FindingsThe proposed technique is compared with state-of-the-art techniques that show the reduction of computational load by 12.46%, the number of sharp turns by 100%, the number of collisions by 100% and increase the velocity parameter by 19.91%.Originality/valueThe proposed adaptive technique provides a better solution for autonomous navigation of unmanned ground vehicles, transportation, warehouse applications, etc.

Urban Integration of Autonomous Vehicles Navigation Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Transportation

This investigation keeps an eye on the essential prerequisite for working on the adaptability of autonomous vehicles inside awesome and dynamic metropolitan circumstances where they share the road with human-driven vehicles. The burgeoning field of autonomous vehicles (AVs) stands at the forefront of urban innovation, promising transformative changes to urban transportation systems. This paper investigates the intricate dynamics of the "Urban Integration of Autonomous Vehicles: Navigation Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Transportation."The research delves into the complexities of integrating AVs in to urban environments, placing a particular emphasis on the navigation challenges they encounter and the potential opportunities they present for fostering sustainable transportation solutions.