Autonomous Vehicle Navigation System and Method

摘要

An autonomous vehicle is improved with a navigational system having both cameras and echolocation sensors, each including overlapping fields of view. The cameras and echolocation sensors may be part of an optical and echolocation system, respectively, that may work in conjunction with a global positioning system to determine a course for the autonomous vehicle to reach an objective while detecting and avoid obstacles along the course.

主权项

1. A navigation system for a vehicle, the navigation system comprising:
a housing; an optical system including a number of cameras mounted within the housing with a predetermined overlap in fields of view, the optical system aggregating at least one hundred and eighty degrees of optical field of view about the housing in at least one plane through the housing; and an echolocation system including an array of echolocation sensors mounted within the housing with a second predetermined overlap in fields of view, the echolocation system aggregating at least ten degrees of acoustic field of view about the housing in at least one plane through the housing.