Laser scanner-based navigation and motion planning for truck-trailer combinations

This paper presents a navigation system for truck-trailer combinations that enables accurate maneuvering to a target position, either assisted or automated. Functional and collision-free motion is achieved by a combination of laser scanner-based navigation and multimodal motion planning. The navigation system uses laser range data to recognize target objects and calculates corresponding target positions. The grid-based multi-dimensional path planner generates a collision-free minimum-cost trajectory for truck-trailer combinations with up to five degrees of freedom. The multimodal planner decides whether the approach is planned as a single backward motion, as a maneuvering path with reversal points or as a long distance approach using free navigation and virtual tracks. Optimized planning algorithms are used for each case. The complete system has been successfully tested using a combination of a Mercedes-Benz truck and a full trailer under varying environmental conditions. The test application was an assistance system for backward driving under a swap body -a very challenging application due to its strict accuracy requirements. The results promise high benefits for this and further applications.