GENERATING REFERENCE TRAJECTORIES FOR VEHICLES IN CONFINED AREAS

A computer-implemented method optimizes a reference trajectory for an automated vehicle operating in a confined area, for example, a mine or construction site or the like. The reference trajectory comprises a sequence of reference data points. The method determines a projection of the sequence of reference data points for fitting the sequence of reference data points onto a candidate reference trajectory. The projection smooths the fit of the sequence of reference data to a set of data points forming the candidate reference trajectory subject to one or more constraints. The method quantifies a performance of at least one vehicle task to be performed by the vehicle along the reference trajectory in a simulation of the candidate trajectory and optimizes the quantified performance to obtain an optimal reference trajectory for the vehicle in the confined area.