Multi-Sensor Precise Positioning for Autonomous and Connected Vehicles

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Autonomous and connected vehicles (AV/CVs) promise to improve the safety and efficiency of our transportation system and bring new economic opportunities. They have the potential to reduce collisions, traffic congestion and emissions, and to improve mobility for a growing population. The increasing demand for AV/CVs is shaping the future of the automotive industry by connecting vehicles to one another and the surrounding infrastructure, transforming the in-vehicle experience and paving the way to autonomous driving. AV technology requires vehicle onboard intelligence relying on a suite of sensors and systems involving global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) including GPS, vehicle motion sensors (gyroscopes, accelerometers, and speedometers), cameras, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and radar. On the other hand, CV technology involves communication between vehicles to share a common perception and awareness of other traffic participants. A key AV/CV system requirement is to have a highly reliable positioning to sub-meter lane-level accuracy. The availability of the above-mentioned sensors and systems in future AV/CVs provides an attractive opportunity to further increase the accuracy and reliability of the positioning system. The proposed research program aims to provide continuous, reliable and ultra-precise multi-sensor positioning for the safe operation of AV/CVs. The proposed research will enhance the positioning of AV/CVs on multiple fronts including (a) accurate positioning reaching decimeter levels of accuracy for lane-level navigation with high integrity; (b) advanced multi-sensor fusion for positioning anywhere for autonomy that adapts to changes in the environment; (c) machine intelligence algorithms to select the set of sensors and systems to be integrated to provide the most reliable and accurate positioning information in all operational environments; and (d) high data rate positioning information for fast response to meet the demand for safety-critical autonomous driving. This research program will enable the deployment of novel AV/CV positioning systems operating efficiently everywhere - even in degraded and challenging environments such as areas of GNSS signal blockage, darkness, absence of visual features, smoke, snow, fog, and rain while providing decimeter-level accuracy. From an autonomy perspective, this work is expected to have a significant impact on the acceptance and trust of targeted AV/CVs since it will increase reliability, decrease the failure rate expected in such degraded environments, and enhance safety and reliability. This research will also contribute to training highly qualified personnel (HQP) with expertise in multi-sensor fusion, machine intelligence and precise positioning. There is a strong demand for HQP with knowledge in these areas and their future employment will accelerate the translation of next-generation multi-sensory positioning and autonomous technologies to the Canadian industry.