A generic method to determine space-saving corridor segments for trucks with one-axle trailer
Christian Weyand, Elisabeth Balcerak, Dieter Zöbel · 2011
In general, the generation of both admissible and collision-free paths for autonomous truck-trailer systems is considered as a sophisticated challenge within the field of motion planning. Therefore, we propose a planning concept that uses maneuvers as elementary planning components and thereby deals with both aspects at the same time. In order to ensure the collision-freedom of an admissible path, the space has to be determined that is allocated by the articulated vehicle, while tracking the path. Considering a truck-trailer system, this task is however challenging, since first, the orientation of the trailer in respect to the truck might change and second, the various tractrix curves of the trailer's wheels and vertices are characterized by curvatures of different value and even different sign. In this paper, we present a method to determine the corridor segment which serves as a hull that completely encloses a truck-trailer system during a maneuver. The main benefit of the proposed method is based on its generic character that allows to apply the method to arbitrary trucks with one-axle trailer and to maneuvers of any type in order to generate space-saving corridor segments.