Real-time motion planning methods for autonomous on-road driving: State-of-the-art and future research directions

Currently autonomous or self-driving vehicles are at the heart of academia and industry research because of its multi-faceted advantages that includes improved safety, reduced congestion, lower emissions and greater mobility. Software is the key driving factor underpinning autonomy within which planning algorithms that are responsible for mission-critical decision making hold a significant position. While transporting passengers or goods from a given origin to a given destination, motion planning methods incorporate searching for a path to follow, avoiding obstacles and generating the best trajectory that ensures safety, comfort and efficiency. A range of different planning approaches have been proposed in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to review existing approaches and then compare and contrast different methods employed for the motion planning of autonomous on-road driving that consists of (1) finding a path, (2) searching for the safest manoeuvre and (3) determining the most feasible trajectory. Methods developed by researchers in each of these three levels exhibit varying levels of complexity and performance accuracy. This paper presents a critical evaluation of each of these methods, in terms of their advantages/disadvantages, inherent limitations, feasibility, optimality, handling of obstacles and testing operational environments.Based on a critical review of existing methods, research challenges to address current limitations are identified and future research directions are suggested so as to enhance the performance of planning algorithms at all three levels. Some promising areas of future focus have been identified as the use of vehicular communications (V2V and V2I) and the incorporation of transport engineering aspects in order to improve the look-ahead horizon of current sensing technologies that are essential for planning with the aim of reducing the total cost of driverless vehicles. This critical review on planning techniques presented in this paper, along with the associated discussions on their constraints and limitations, seek to assist researchers in accelerating development in the emerging field of autonomous vehicle research.     

Forecasting petrol demand and assessing the impact of selective strategies to reduce fuel consumption

Abstract

The use of fossil fuels in transportation is an important topic as a result of growing concerns over global warming. Automobile petrol demand has been of particular interest to researchers and policy-makers, given that the automobile is a major contributor to the enhanced greenhouse effect. This paper forecasts Australia's automobile petrol demand up to the year 2020 based on the best performing forecasting model selected out of eight models. In order to establish ways to reduce the demand for petrol, and the consequent by-product of reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, we have estimated the impact on CO₂ for several potential policy instruments, using Transportation and Environment Strategy Impact Simulator (an integrated transport, land use and environmental strategy impact simulation programme). We find that a carbon tax of AU$0.50/kg can reduce automobile kilometres by 5.9%, resulting in reduced demand for petrol and a reduction in CO₂ of 1.5%.     

基于嵌入式系统的以太网电话机设计与实现

基于FPGA嵌入式系统的设计思路，对以太网电话机的设计与实现进行了研究。应用SOPC技术和嵌入式软件，能够以低成本制作出实用的以太网电话机。以太网电话机是P2P（PeertoPeer）计算机语音技术的嵌入式版本，把以太网电话机接人以太网后，不需要再在网络上增添任何其它专用设备，就可以按照传统电话机的使用方法拨号呼叫在同一网络上的另一台以太网电话机并进行双向通话。以太网电话机结构紧凑、性能可靠、使用方便，不仅可用于网内的语音交换，还可为网络语音调度技术提供一种新的思路。     

长江河口盐水入侵数值模拟研究

长江河口盐水入侵一直是困扰上海市工农业生产及生活用水的一个重大问题。文章通过建立"长江口—杭州湾"大范围的二维水流盐度数学模型,在验证的基础上,重点分析了长江口盐水入侵总体格局、北支盐水倒灌、南支盐度分布格局等问题,并指出由于横沙通道的涨落潮流不平衡,北槽会有部分盐水倒灌进入北港;基于数学模型,对北支倒灌盐通量进行了初步计算。     

关于二维混合浪周期问题的初步探讨

在沿海港口工程采用的《海港水文规范》（JTS145—2—2013）中,并未就常见的混合浪给出波浪周期的计算公式,以致实际工程设计中混合浪周期的选取比较困难。本研究基于小振幅波理论,利用能量法推导二维混合浪周期的计算公式,可供工程设计参考。     

真空荷载下超软土固结试验及土颗粒移动数值模拟研究*

新近吹填超软土经真空预压浅层加固后,普遍会在排水板周围形成土体强度相对较高的小范围区域,该区域范 围内的土体较密实,抗剪强度较高,而沉降较小,即所谓的“土桩”,“土桩”范围外的土体固结效果较差,造成大面积 吹填淤泥现场加固不均匀现象。针对以上现象,首先进行了吹填土无砂真空预压室内模型试验,并研究土体在加固过程中 颗粒组成、沉降、孔压水头高度和含水量的变化情况;其次采用颗粒流数值软件PFC2D从微观角度进行模拟,探究土颗粒的 移动情况。室内模型试验结果：真空预压加固后,土体产生不均匀沉降,排水板处产生半径为20～25 cm明显的隆起,排水 板附近土体细颗粒含量和密实度明显升高,渗透系数下降,形成一个相对密实和弱透水性的“土桩”现象。数值模拟分析 表明：土颗粒在土体表面负压影响下向下移动是土体固结下沉的原因,排水板附近的土颗粒在排水板负压影响下向排水板 方向移动,是形成“土桩”的根本原因。     

境外高桩码头结构抗震设计方法

针对境外高桩码头结构在强震作用下的抗震设计问题,建立一套适应境外抗震设计习惯和境外咨询公司认可的 方法是十分必要的。结合三航院承担的拉美地区某高桩码头的抗震设计以及与境外咨询公司的沟通交流情况,重点介绍了 高桩码头结构抗震设计方法和技术细节,可供海外工程设计时参考。     

聚苯胺／CuFeS2纳米复合材料的制备与表征

聚苯胺/CuFeS2（PANI/CuFeS2）纳米复合材料不仅具有导电高聚物和氧化物半导体的优良光电特性,还具有纳米材料特有的功能性,在传感、催化、吸波和能源材料等领域有着广阔的应用前景。文中采用原位聚合法制备了PANI/CuFeS2纳米复合材料,分别采用傅立叶红外光谱（FT-IR）、X-射线衍射（XRD）、扫描电镜（SEM）、UV-Vis 漫反射吸收光谱和电导率测量等对所得复合微粒进行表征。结果表明：CuFeS2纳米颗粒均匀的分散在聚苯胺（ PANI）基体内,PANI/CuFeS2复合材料中未存在键合作用,而只是简单的物理包覆,所以对各自的性能均未造成影响。与聚苯胺相比,PANI/CuFeS2复合材料光电性能得到有效提高,且CuFeS 2添加量为30％时其性能最佳。     

基于FLAC2D的膨胀土边坡稳定性影响因素分析

在工程建设领域出现的膨胀土滑坡问题越来越多,准确地了解膨胀土土体各项参数对其稳定性有何影响显得尤为重要。以宿州至扬州高速公路天长段膨胀土边坡实例为计算模型,利用正交试验探讨了边坡土体天然密度、粘聚力、内摩擦角、弹性模量和泊松比对其稳定性的影响,发现对边坡稳定影响大小的顺序依次为:粘聚力、内摩擦角、天然密度、泊松比和弹性模量。     

地铁车站纵梁内力研究

为提高地铁车站结构设计的合理性和精细化,分别采用传统二维简化算法和三维有限元算法对2种典型地铁车站（单柱双跨和双柱三跨）的纵梁进行内力对比分析。2种算法的纵梁内力结果差异存在一定的规律性,建议继续采用传统算法,并对计算结果进行适当的修正,将更符合结构实际受力情况。