Shared Perception and Edge-Enabled Communication for Autonomous Mobility

This article introduces the architecture and real-world deployment of a collision avoidance system based on shared perception between vehicles and infrastructure in autonomous mobility. It employs microservices on both the infrastructure and vehicle platforms to integrate data from multiple sensors and distributed computing units. By leveraging Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) communication, the system autonomously interfaces with vehicle’s systems in critical emergency scenarios, such as executing an emergency stop triggered by the presence of Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs), signaled by a roadside unit. Edge computing at key points enhances the system’s capabilities, enabling swift object detection through computer vision and real-time integration with the vehicle’s interfaces via V2I message exchanges. The system is integrated in both fully autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, performing emergency stops when a hazard is detected. Depending on the vehicle, it either returns control to the driver or allows the autonomous control system to resume operation. The integration with Autoware, the autonomous control system for the fully autonomous vehicle used in this work, highlights the system’s ability to seamlessly integrate vehicular communications into autonomous mobility. It cooperates with Autoware using information from surrounding entities to execute emergency stop maneuvers without disrupting autonomous driving. Once the maneuver is completed and the hazard is cleared, the vehicle resumes its path without manual intervention. The experimental results with both fully autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, in the presence of VRU, demonstrate the system’s ability to deliver timely alerts and ensure successful vehicle responses. Additionally, a comprehensive timing analysis of the system’s performance is conducted across both vehicles and infrastructure.