Title: Towards vehicle trajectory planning for collision avoidance based on elastic bands

Authors: Thorsten Brandt, Thomas Sattel, Jorg Wallaschek

Addresses: Heinz Nixdorf Institute, University of Paderborn, Mechatronics and Dynamics, Furstenallee 11, 33102 Paderborn, Germany. ' Heinz Nixdorf Institute, University of Paderborn, Mechatronics and Dynamics, Furstenallee 11, 33102 Paderborn, Germany. ' Heinz Nixdorf Institute, University of Paderborn, Mechatronics and Dynamics, Furstenallee 11, 33102 Paderborn, Germany

Abstract: Vehicle safety and driver assistance systems are an active field of research. Therein, a current trend focuses on guidance systems that link the vehicle to its environment. This paper presents a potential field based guidance strategy, which supports lane keeping and evasion manoeuvres. Therein, potential fields are scaled according to the hazard levels associated to the borders of the road and to other traffic participants. Trajectories of low hazard levels are generated by means of elastic bands that sense the environment like antennae of insects. An important contribution of this predictive motion planning approach is the incorporation of moving obstacles.

Keywords: collision avoidance; elastic bands; path planning; trajectory planning; vehicle control; vehicle dynamics; driver assistance; vehicle safety; vehicle guidance systems; potential fields; lane keeping; evasion manoeuvres; insect antennae; motion planning; predictive motion; obstacle avoidance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVAS.2007.014928

International Journal of Vehicle Autonomous Systems, 2007 Vol.5 No.1/2, pp.28 - 46

Published online: 20 Aug 2007 *

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