METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING AUTONOMOUS OR SEMI-AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE

The present invention is directed to computer-implemented method for controlling an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle. A vehicle model is provided and information describing a roadway () is obtained. This information is transformed in a Frenet-Serret frame, which defines a curvilinear coordinate space. Then, in the curvilinear coordinate space, a plurality of line segments () are defined () along the roadway (), at locations spaced longitudinally along a reference line defining the Frenet-Serret frame. The line segments have respective lengths that extends, each, perpendicularly to the reference line. Next, based on the defined line segments, a space-time corridor (″) is determined () to obtain a time-dependent space available for the vehicle. Bounds for the vehicle within said time-dependent space are subsequently obtained (). The bounds define a set of constraints that delimit a plurality of convex space-time objects along the reference line. Said objects approximate the time-dependent space. Then, based on the obtained set of constraints and the provided vehicle model, the method provides () a motion trajectory of the vehicle through the plurality of convex space-time objects. This motion trajectory is optimized using a nonlinear programming solver. Finally, the motion trajectory is transformed () from the curvilinear coordinate space to a Euclidean coordinate space, to control the vehicle based on the transformed motion trajectory. The present invention further concerns related systems and computer program products.