Belt-driven rotating sensor platform for autonomous vehicles

Abstract

Technologies for steering sensors in a sensor carrier structure on an autonomous vehicle (AV) are described herein. In some examples, a sensor positioning platform on an AV can include an actuator system including a motor; a belt mechanically engaged to a set of pulleys such that operation of the motor results in the belt driving a first rotational movement of at least one of the pulleys, which, in turn, causes a second rotational movement of a sensor carrier structure; a motor controller that receives instructions for controlling the motor to reposition the sensor carrier structure and sending control signals to the motor to perform the repositioning of the sensor carrier structure; and a bundle of cables coiled within a central bore of the actuator system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sensor positioning platform on an autonomous vehicle, the sensor positioning platform comprising:
 an actuator system configured to move and reposition a sensor carrier structure comprising a plurality of sensors, the actuator system comprising:
 a motor; 
 a position sensor integrated on a shaft of the motor, wherein the position sensor is disposed within an enclosure of the shaft, the enclosure being heated to prevent condensation during operation of the actuator system; 
 a belt mechanically engaged with one or more pulleys such that operation of the motor results in the belt driving a first rotational movement of at least one of the one or more pulleys, wherein the first rotational movement of the at least one of the one or more pulleys causes a second rotational movement of the sensor carrier structure; and 
 a motor controller configured to:
 receive one or more instructions for controlling the motor to reposition the sensor carrier structure from a current position to a different position; and 
 based on the one or more instructions, send, to the motor, one or more control signals configured to control the motor to reposition, via movement of the belt resulting in the first rotational movement, the sensor carrier structure to the different position. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The sensor positioning platform of  claim 1 , wherein the position sensor is disposed between a planetary gearhead of the motor and a motor belt drive pulley, and wherein the planetary gearhead increases rotational resolution of the plurality of sensors during the operation of the motor. 
     
     
         3 . The sensor positioning platform of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of an image sensor, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor, and a motion detector sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The sensor positioning platform of  claim 1 , wherein the position sensor determines a position of the motor using a multi-pole magnetic strip, the multi-pole magnetic strip located on an outside of the motor, a rotor of the motor, or a stator of the motor. 
     
     
         5 . The sensor positioning platform of  claim 4 , wherein the multi-pole magnetic strip sits flush along an outside surface of the rotor of the motor. 
     
     
         6 . The sensor positioning platform of  claim 1 , wherein the position sensor is integrated on to the shaft of the motor. 
     
     
         7 . The sensor positioning platform of  claim 1 , wherein the motor is coupled to an electric brake that multiplies a brake torque of the actuator system resulting from the first rotational movement. 
     
     
         8 . The sensor positioning platform of  claim 1 , further comprising a grip mounted on to a pulley of the one or more pulleys to removably engage a helical service loop in order to allow for rotational movement of the helical service loop in conjunction with the first rotational movement. 
     
     
         9 . The sensor positioning platform of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor carrier structure comprises an encoder to control the second rotational movement. 
     
     
         10 . The sensor positioning platform of  claim 1 , wherein the position sensor is configured to sense the current position of the sensor carrier structure and report the current position of the sensor carrier structure to the motor controller, and wherein a requested position is calculated based on the current position sensed by the position sensor. 
     
     
         11 . An autonomous vehicle comprising:
 a mechanical system;   an internal computing system;   an actuator system in communication with the internal computing system and configured to move a sensor carrier structure comprising a plurality of sensors, wherein the actuator system comprises:
 a motor; 
 a position sensor integrated on a shaft of the motor, wherein the position sensor is disposed within an enclosure of the shaft, the enclosure being heated to prevent condensation during operation of the actuator system; 
 a belt mechanically engaged with one or more pulleys such that operation of the motor results in the belt driving a first rotational movement of at least one of the one or more pulleys, wherein the first rotational movement of the at least one of the one or more pulleys causes a second rotational movement of the sensor carrier structure; and 
 a motor controller configured to:
 receive one or more instructions for controlling the motor to reposition the sensor carrier structure from a current position to a different position; and 
 based on the one or more instructions, send, to the motor, one or more control signals configured to control the motor to reposition, via movement of the belt resulting in the first rotational movement, the sensor carrier structure to the different position. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The autonomous vehicle of  claim 11 , wherein the position sensor is disposed between a planetary gearhead of the motor and a motor belt drive pulley, and wherein the planetary gearhead increases rotational resolution of the plurality of sensors during the operation of the motor. 
     
     
         13 . The autonomous vehicle of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of an image sensor, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor, and a motion detector sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The autonomous vehicle of  claim 11 , wherein the position sensor determines a position of the motor using a multi-pole magnetic strip, the multi-pole magnetic strip located on an outside of the motor, a rotor of the motor, or a stator of the motor. 
     
     
         15 . The autonomous vehicle of  claim 14 , wherein the multi-pole magnetic strip sits flush along an outside surface of the rotor of the motor. 
     
     
         16 . The autonomous vehicle of  claim 11 , wherein the position sensor is configured to sense the current position of the sensor carrier structure and report the current position of the sensor carrier structure to the motor controller, and wherein a requested position is calculated based on the current position sensed by the position sensor. 
     
     
         17 . The autonomous vehicle of  claim 11 , wherein the position sensor is integrated on to the shaft of the motor. 
     
     
         18 . A method for operation of an actuator system comprising:
 receiving, at a motor controller, one or more instructions for controlling a motor to reposition a sensor carrier structure from a current position to a different position;   based on the one or more instructions, sending, to the motor, one or more control signals configured to control the motor to reposition, via movement of a belt resulting in a first rotational movement, the sensor carrier structure to the different position by:
 driving a first rotational movement of at least one of one or more pulleys based on operation of the belt, wherein the one or more pulleys are mechanically engaged with the belt; 
 causing, by the first rotational movement of the at least one of one or more pulleys, a second rotational movement of the at least one of the one or more pulleys that causes a rotational movement of the sensor carrier structure; and 
   heating an enclosure of a shaft of the motor during the first rotational movement and the second rotational movement, wherein a position sensor integrated on the shaft of the motor that is enclosed by the enclosure is protected from condensation during operation of the actuator system   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the position sensor is configured to sense the current position of the sensor carrier structure and report the current position of the sensor carrier structure to the motor controller, and wherein a requested position is calculated based on the current position sensed by the position sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the position sensor is disposed between a planetary gearhead of the motor and a motor belt drive pulley, and wherein the planetary gearhead increases rotational resolution of a plurality of sensors within the sensor carrier structure during the operation of the motor.