Caravan route feedback and control system
A caravan is performed of a plurality of vehicles by an ego vehicle. An ego vehicle receives, in caravan messages via a wireless transceiver of the ego vehicle, capability information indicative of capabilities of the vehicles to traverse an obstacle along a route. Performance rankings that indicate relative capabilities of the vehicles per type of obstacle are determined based on the capability information. One or more ordering strategies are utilized to define a vehicle ordering for traversal of the obstacle along the route, the vehicle ordering being based on the performance rankings of the vehicles and the obstacle. The obstacle is traversed, by the caravan, according to the vehicle ordering.
1 . An ego vehicle of a caravan of a plurality of vehicles, comprising:
a wireless transceiver;
a plurality of sensors; and
one or more controllers, configured to:
receive, in caravan messages via the wireless transceiver, capability information indicative of capabilities of the plurality of vehicles to traverse obstacles along a route,
determine performance rankings indicative of relative capabilities of the plurality of vehicles to traverse obstacles per type of obstacle based on the capability information,
utilize one or more ordering strategies to define a first vehicle ordering for traversal of a first obstacle along the route, the first vehicle ordering being based on the performance rankings of the plurality of vehicles and the first obstacle,
traverse the first obstacle, by the caravan, according to the first vehicle ordering,
utilize the one or more ordering strategies to define a second vehicle ordering for traversal of a second obstacle along the route, the second vehicle ordering being based on the performance rankings of the vehicles and a type of the second obstacle, wherein the second obstacle is of a different type than the first obstacle, and the second vehicle ordering differs from that of the first vehicle ordering, and
traverse the second obstacle, by the caravan, according to the second vehicle ordering.
2 . The ego vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to:
identify a location between the first obstacle and the second obstacle at which to reorder the plurality of vehicles; and
reorder the plurality of vehicles from the first vehicle ordering to the second vehicle ordering at the identified location.
3 . The ego vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ordering strategies include a least-capable first ordering strategy in which the plurality of vehicles are ordered in increasing order of capability to send a least equipped vehicle first to retain more equipped vehicles should the least equipped vehicle require assistance.
4 . The ego vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ordering strategies include a most-capable first ordering strategy in which the plurality of vehicles are ordered in decreasing order of capability for traversing the type of obstacle to send a most equipped vehicle first.
5 . The ego vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to:
receive, using the wireless transceiver, a first recommendation from a leading vehicle of the plurality of vehicles earlier in the ordering than the ego vehicle,
receive, from the plurality of sensors, runtime characteristics of the ego vehicle,
create a second recommendation to a following vehicle of the caravan behind the ego vehicle in the ordering, based on the first recommendation and the runtime characteristics, and
send the second recommendation to the following vehicle using the wireless transceiver.
6 . The ego vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the second recommendation includes spoken audio provided by an operator of the ego vehicle traversing the obstacle, to be provided to an operator of the following vehicle responsive to the following vehicle traversing the obstacle.
7 . The ego vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the first recommendation includes a setting for one or more of vehicle speed, shock dampening settings, jump mode settings, stability control settings, and/or wheel torque limit settings, and the second recommendation includes a refinement to the setting according to the runtime characteristics of the ego vehicle received from the plurality of sensors of the ego vehicle.
8 . The ego vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the setting from the second recommendation is automatically applied to the following vehicle without operator input.
9 . A method for performing a caravan of a plurality of vehicles by an ego vehicle, comprising:
receiving, in caravan messages via a wireless transceiver of the ego vehicle, capability information indicative of capabilities of the plurality of vehicles to traverse obstacles along a route;
determining performance rankings indicative of relative capabilities of the plurality of vehicles to traverse obstacles per type of obstacle based on the capability information;
utilizing one or more ordering strategies to define a first vehicle ordering for traversal of a first obstacle along the route, the first vehicle ordering being based on the performance rankings of the plurality of vehicles and the first obstacle;
traversing the first obstacle, by the caravan, according to the first vehicle ordering;
utilizing the one or more ordering strategies to define a second vehicle ordering for traversal of a second obstacle along the route, the second vehicle ordering being based on the performance rankings of the plurality of vehicles and the second obstacle, wherein the second obstacle is of a different type than the first obstacle, and the second vehicle ordering differs from that of the first vehicle ordering; and
traversing the second obstacle, by the caravan, according to the second vehicle ordering.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
identifying a location between the first obstacle and the second obstacle at which to reorder the plurality of vehicles; and
reordering the plurality of vehicles from the first vehicle ordering to the second vehicle ordering at the identified location.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more ordering strategies include a least-capable first ordering strategy in which the plurality of vehicles are ordered in increasing order of capability to send a least equipped vehicle first to retain more equipped vehicles should the least equipped vehicle require assistance.
12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more ordering strategies include a most-capable first ordering strategy in which the plurality of vehicles are ordered in decreasing order of capability for traversing the type of obstacle to send a most equipped vehicle first.
13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving, using the wireless transceiver, a first recommendation from a leading vehicle of the plurality of vehicles earlier in the ordering than the ego vehicle;
receiving, from a plurality of sensors of the ego vehicle, runtime characteristics of the ego vehicle;
creating a second recommendation to a following vehicle of the caravan behind the ego vehicle in the ordering, based on the first recommendation and the runtime characteristics; and
sending the second recommendation to the following vehicle using the wireless transceiver.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the second recommendation includes spoken audio provided by an operator of the ego vehicle traversing the obstacle, to be provided to an operator of the following vehicle responsive to the following vehicle traversing the obstacle.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first recommendation includes a setting for one or more of vehicle speed, shock dampening settings, jump mode settings, stability control settings, and/or wheel torque limit settings, and the second recommendation includes a refinement to the setting according to the runtime characteristics of the ego vehicle received from the plurality of sensors of the ego vehicle.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the setting from the second recommendation is automatically applied to the following vehicle without operator input.
17 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more controllers of an ego vehicle of a caravan of vehicles, cause the ego vehicle to perform operations including to
receive, in caravan messages via a wireless transceiver of the ego vehicle, capability information indicative of capabilities of the caravan of vehicles to traverse a first obstacle along a route;
determine performance rankings indicative of relative capabilities of the caravan of vehicles to traverse obstacles per type of obstacle based on the capability information;
utilize one or more ordering strategies to define a first vehicle ordering for traversal of the first obstacle along the route, the first vehicle ordering being based on the performance rankings of the caravan of vehicles and the first obstacle;
traverse the first obstacle, by the caravan, according to the first vehicle ordering;
utilize the one or more ordering strategies to define a second vehicle ordering for traversal of a second obstacle along the route, the second vehicle ordering being based on the performance rankings of the caravan of vehicles and the second obstacle, wherein the second obstacle is of a different type than the first obstacle, and the second vehicle ordering differs from that of the first vehicle ordering; and
traverse the second obstacle, by the caravan, according to the second vehicle ordering.
18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more ordering strategies include:
a least-capable first ordering strategy in which the caravan of vehicles are ordered in increasing order of capability to send a least equipped vehicle first to retain more equipped vehicles should the least equipped vehicle require assistance; and
a most-capable first ordering strategy in which the caravan of vehicles are ordered in decreasing order of capability for traversing the type of obstacle to send a most equipped vehicle first.
19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more controllers, cause the ego vehicle to perform operations including to:
receive, using the wireless transceiver, a first recommendation from a leading vehicle of the caravan of vehicles earlier in the first or second ordering than the ego vehicle;
receive, from a plurality of sensors of the ego vehicle, runtime characteristics of the ego vehicle;
create a second recommendation to a following vehicle of the caravan behind the ego vehicle in the first or second ordering, based on the first recommendation and the runtime characteristics; and
send the second recommendation to the following vehicle using the wireless transceiver,
wherein the first recommendation includes a setting for one or more of vehicle speed, shock dampening settings, jump mode settings, stability control settings, and/or wheel torque limit settings, and the second recommendation includes a refinement to the setting according to the runtime characteristics of the ego vehicle received from the plurality of sensors of the ego vehicle.
20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the second recommendation includes spoken audio provided by an operator of the ego vehicle traversing the first obstacle, to be provided to an operator of the following vehicle responsive to the following vehicle traversing the first obstacle.
21 . The ego vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ordering strategies includes a most-capable first ordering strategy, and, using the most-capable first ordering strategy, the first vehicle ordering is ordered in decreasing order of capability for traversing the first obstacle and the second vehicle ordering is ordered in decreasing order of capability for traversing the second obstacle.