Algorithm helps autonomous vehicles to avoid pedestrians

After recognising that a collision is inevitable, the model predictive control (MPC) algorithm is said to analyse all available options and chooses the course of action with the least serious outcome.

"What can we do in order to minimise the consequences?" said Amir Khajepour, a professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering at the University of Waterloo. "That is our focus."

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The first rule for the autonomous vehicle (AV) crash-mitigation technology is avoiding collisions with pedestrians. It then considers factors such as relative speeds, angles of collision and differences in mass and vehicle type to determine the best possible manoeuvre, such as braking or steering in one direction or another.

"We consider the whole traffic environment perceived by the autonomous vehicle, including all the other vehicles and obstacles around it," said Dongpu Cao, a mechanical and mechatronics engineering professor at Waterloo.