Object sense and avoid system for autonomous vehicles

Abstract

A system for determining a travel path for an autonomous vehicle (“AV”) to travel to a target while avoiding objects (i.e., obstacles) without the use of an imaging system is provided. An object sense and avoid (“OSA”) system detects objects in an object field that is adjacent to the AV and dynamically generates, as the AV travels, a travel path to the target to avoid the objects. The OSA system repeatedly uses sensors to collect sensor data of any objects in the object field. An object detection system then detects the objects and determines their locations based on triangulating ranges to an object as indicated by different sensors. The path planner system then plans a next travel direction for the AV to avoid the detected objects while seeking to minimize the distance traveled. The OSA system then instructs the AV to travel in the travel direction.