Representing the Unknown - Impact of Uncertainty on the Interaction between Decision Making and Trajectory Generation

TL;DR

This paper examines how uncertainty, especially sensor occlusion, affects motion planning in automated vehicles, emphasizing the need for clear interfaces between decision making and trajectory generation to enhance safety and acceptance.

Contribution

It highlights the importance of representing uncertainty in motion planning and discusses the interface requirements between decision making and trajectory generation.

Findings

Uncertainty representation impacts motion planning effectiveness.

Sensor occlusion is a critical source of uncertainty.

Clear interfaces improve safety and user acceptance.

Abstract

Even though motion planning for automated vehicles has been extensively discussed for more than two decades, it is still a highly active field of research with a variety of different approaches having been published in the recent years. When considering the market introduction of SAE Level 3+ vehicles, the topic of motion planning will most likely be subject to even more detailed discussions between safety and user acceptance. This paper shall discuss parameters of the motion planning problem and requirements to an environment model. The focus is put on the representation of different types of uncertainty at the example of sensor occlusion, arguing the importance of a well-defined interface between decision making and trajectory generation.