Systems and methods for low level feed forward vehicle control strategy

1. A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, data indicative of a vehicle local plan and data indicative of vehicle velocity;

using, by the one or more processors, a lateral controller system for determining vehicle curvature based upon the vehicle local plan data;

using, by the one or more processors, a longitudinal controller system for determining desired vehicle acceleration based upon the vehicle velocity data, wherein the longitudinal controller system uses a control loop based upon a velocity error and a feedforward term to generate vehicle acceleration data that is converted to throttle or braking data;

wherein the longitudinal controller system solves for desired throttle or braking torque using proportional-integral-derivative control and feed forward control;

transmitting vehicle steering control commands that are generated based upon the determined vehicle curvature; and

transmitting vehicle brake and engine control commands that are generated based upon the determined throttle or braking data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein an electric brake control system uses the solved desired braking torque value for vehicle braking control operations.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal controller system accounts for actuator delays by looking ahead along the vehicle local plan by a pre-determined amount of delay.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal controller system receives reference velocity and velocity estimation from an odometry system for solving for the desired vehicle acceleration.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the desired acceleration is converted by a model for input to the throttle or braking interfaces of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the input includes throttle or braking torque.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the input is converted using a model based on wheel diameter and mass of the autonomous vehicle.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the input includes percentage of brake and throttle pedal positions.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the input is generated based upon the desired acceleration.

10. A system for controlling an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

a storage device for storing instructions for generating the vehicle path; and

one or more data processors configured to execute the instructions to:

receive data indicative of a vehicle local plan and data indicative of vehicle velocity;

use a lateral controller system for determining vehicle curvature based upon the vehicle local plan data;

use a longitudinal controller system for determining desired vehicle acceleration based upon the vehicle velocity data, wherein the longitudinal controller system uses a control loop based upon a velocity error and a feedforward term to generate vehicle acceleration data that is converted to throttle or braking data;

wherein the longitudinal controller system solves for desired throttle or braking torque using proportional-integral-derivative control and feed forward control;

transmit vehicle steering control commands that are generated based upon the determined vehicle curvature; and

transmit vehicle brake and engine control commands that are generated based upon the determined throttle or braking data.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein an electric brake control system uses the solved desired braking torque value for vehicle braking control operations.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the longitudinal controller system accounts for actuator delays by looking ahead along the vehicle local plan by a pre-determined amount of delay.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the longitudinal controller system receives reference velocity and velocity estimation from an odometry system for solving for the desired vehicle acceleration.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the desired acceleration is converted by a model for input to the throttle or braking interfaces of the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the input includes throttle or braking torque.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the input is converted using a model based on wheel diameter and mass of the autonomous vehicle.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the input includes percentage of brake and throttle pedal positions, wherein the input is generated based upon the desired acceleration.

18. An autonomous vehicle comprising:

at least a camera and lidar sensor that provides sensor data; and

a controller that, by a processor and based on the sensor data:

receives data indicative of a vehicle local plan and data indicative of vehicle velocity;

uses a lateral controller system for determining vehicle curvature based upon the vehicle local plan data;

uses a longitudinal controller system for determining desired vehicle acceleration based upon the vehicle velocity data, wherein the longitudinal controller system uses a control loop based upon a velocity error and a feedforward term to generate vehicle acceleration data that is converted to throttle or braking data;

wherein the longitudinal controller system solves for desired throttle or braking torque using proportional-integral-derivative control and feed forward control;

transmits vehicle steering control commands that are generated based upon the determined vehicle curvature; and

transmits vehicle brake and engine control commands that are generated based upon the determined throttle or braking data.