Driver Aid and Autonomous Tractor-Trailer Parking and Loading Dock Alignment System

摘要

Backing up and aligning tractor trailers to a loading dock is one of the most complicated tasks performed by a truck driver. The present invention provides aids, and/or autonomy, to the driver in both conditions: the warehouse, and the less structured origin/destination. The invention is designed to aid the driver with facilities to simplify the parking and loading dock alignment process. The invention controls the drive-by-wire system in the truck, controlling the steering, gearbox, acceleration, and break, to automatically back up the truck into the desired location. This is possible if the truck is equipped with a drive-by-wire kit. The invention controls one or more control signals to the drive-by-wire system while the driver controls the others. In the present invention, a system is developed that is designed to autonomously or semi-autonomously guide a driver to a dock or parking location which is comprised of a sensor or sensors that collect a map of the dock or desired parking area, a user interface that allows the operator to select a doc k, or a feature in the map and determine the final pose of the tractor and trailer, a planner that creates a kinematically correct and obstacle free trajectory from the current location to the desired location and a set of user aids, including a ground guide avatar or avatars that provide the distance to the dock, speed and turning direction, or other guidance.