WO2014148978A1

WO2014148978A1 - Control system and method for control of a vehicle in connection with detection of an obstacle

Info

Publication number: WO2014148978A1
Application number: PCT/SE2014/050290
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jon Andersson; Joseph Ah-King; Tom NYSTRÖM
Original assignee: Scania CV AB
Current assignee: Scania CV AB
Priority date: 2013-03-19
Filing date: 2014-03-11
Publication date: 2014-09-25
Anticipated expiration: 2015-09-19
Also published as: SE537265C2; DE112014001069T5; SE1350335A1

Abstract

The invention pertains to a control system (10) to control an autonomous vehicle (2), with at least one first wheel pair (6A, 8B, 7A, 7B), in connection with obstacles, where the system (10) comprises a processor device (11 ) which is adapted to receive an obstacle signal φ1 with information regarding an obstacle (9) in the path of the vehicle (2), this information comprising at least the characteristics of the obstacle (9) and the position of the obstacle; the processor device (11) is also adapted to analyse the information regarding the obstacle according to rules for straddling the obstacle in relation to the ground clearance of the vehicle (2); and if the result of the analysis shows that the obstacle may be straddled by the vehicle (2), the processor device (11) is adapted to: determine a first trajectory (19) for the vehicle (2) based at least on the position of the vehicle (2), the position of the obstacle and information about the ground clearance of the vehicle (2), so that the vehicle (2) straddles the obstacle; generate a trajectory signal q>3 indicating said first trajectory (19); send the trajectory signal φ3 to a control device (12) in the vehicle, whereby the vehicle (2) is controlled according to the first trajectory (19). The invention also pertains to a method for the control of an autonomous vehicle (2) in connection with obstacles.

Description

Control system and method for control of a vehicle in connection with detection of an obstacle

Field of the invention

The present invention pertains to technology enabling the detection of obstacles in front of an autonomous vehicle, and the control of the vehicle in order to avoid such an obstacle.

Background of the invention

A vehicle which may be driven without a driver on the ground is called an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). There are two types of UGVs, namely remote- operated and autonomous vehicles.

A remote-operated UGV is a vehicle that is controlled by a human operator via a communications link. All measures are decided by the operator based on either direct visual observation or with the use of sensors, such as digital video cameras.

One simple example of a remote-operated UGV is a remote-operated toy car.

There is a great variety of remote-operated vehicles used today. Often, these vehicles are used in dangerous situations and in environments which are unsuitable for people, e.g. to disarm bombs and in connection with hazardous chemical releases. Remote-operated, unmanned vehicles are also used in connection with surveillance and similar.

An autonomous vehicle herein means a vehicle which is capable of navigating and manoeuvring without human control. The vehicle uses sensors to obtain an understanding of the surrounding environment. Sensor data are then used by control algorithms to determine the vehicle's next step with respect to a superior goal for the vehicle, such as to collect and deliver goods at different positions.

More specifically, an autonomous vehicle must be able to scan the surrounding environment sufficiently well to be able to carry out the task which it has been allocated, e.g. "move the boulders from place A to place B via the mine gallery C".

The autonomous vehicle needs to plan and follow a route to the chosen destination while detecting and avoiding obstacles on the way. In addition, the autonomous vehicle must complete its task as quickly as possible without making any mistakes. Autonomous vehicles were developed, among other things, for use in hazardous environments, such as the defence and war industry and the mining industry, both above ground and underground. If people or ordinary, manually- controlled vehicles approximate the operating area of the autonomous vehicles, for safety reasons they normally trigger an interruption in the operation. Once the operating area is clear, the autonomous vehicles may be ordered to resume operation.

The autonomous vehicle uses information relating to the road, the surrounding environment and other aspects that impact the progress in order to automatically regulate throttle, braking and steering. A careful assessment and identification of the planned progress is necessary in order to assess whether a road is navigable and is also necessary in order to successfully replace a person's assessment when driving the vehicle. Road conditions may be complex, and when driving an ordinary manned vehicle the driver makes hundreds of observations per minute and adjusts the operation of the vehicle based on the perceived road conditions in order to find e.g. a navigable path around an object which may be on the road. To replace the human perception ability with an autonomous system entails, among other things, that the ability to perceive objects in an exact manner is required, in order to be able to control the vehicle effectively when steering past these objects.

The technological methods used to identify an object in connection with the vehicle comprise, among other things, the use of one or several cameras and radar to create pictures of the surrounding environment. Laser technology is also used, both scanning lasers and fixed lasers, in order to detect objects and to measure distances. These are often called LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) or LADAR (Laser Detection and Ranging). In addition, the vehicle is equipped with different sensors, among other things, to detect speed and accelerations in different directions. Positioning systems and other wireless technology may also be used to determine whether the vehicle is e.g. getting close to a junction, a narrowing of the road, and/or other vehicles.

Autonomous vehicles are used today as load carriers in areas such as mining - both in open pits and underground mines. A vehicle accident in a bottleneck, such as a transportation route or in a mining site, in many cases immediately stops the entire production line with significant loss of income as a result. A common cause for vehicle accidents in a terrain environment is a puncture caused by the sharp edges on fist-sized rocks called "cat heads" in the mining industry. The driver in a manually-controlled vehicle has the task of spotting and not hitting these rocks with any of the vehicle's wheels. For an autonomous vehicle it is a great challenge to detect these objects, since they are relatively small and have an appearance that does not differ much from the surface in a mine. US-6151539-A describes a system for autonomous vehicles and a method for how to control these. The system consists of a range of sensors that are intended to ensure that the vehicle maintains its course, and to ensure that the vehicle avoids collision with various obstades.

US-2008189036-A1 describes a system for autonomous vehicles which detects obstacles with a camera. The system uses a camera to produce a 3D map of obstades in the area. This map is then sent to a module which uses the map in an algorithm to avoid the detected obstades.

US-20090088916-A1 describes a system for autonomous vehicles which is able to plan its path automatically, and simultaneously avoiding collision with different types of obstacles. The system uses mathematical algorithms to calculate the correct path and how the vehicle should avoid obstades. The system uses different types of sensors, among others lasers, in order to gather necessary information and data.

The above described systems describe how the vehicle should avoid an object by driving around the object. Autonomous vehicles are often used in areas, such as narrow drifts, which do not have extensive space to make large diversions from a determined trajectory.

One objective of the invention is thus to provide a system to defect obstacles in the vehicle's path, and to control the vehicle so that the vehicle avoids driving into the obstacle, at the lowest cost possible, and in particular a system that controls the vehicle, so that the vehicle diverges from a planned trajectory as little as possible, Summary of the invention

According to one aspect, the objective of the invention is achieved through a system for controlling an autonomous vehicle with at least one first pair of wheels, in connection with obstacles according to the first independent claim. The system comprises a processor device which is adapted to receive an obstacle signal φ1 with information about an obstacle in the vehicle's path, the information comprising at least one characteristic of the obstacle and the position of the obstacle. By analysing this information, according to rules for straddling the obstacle in relation to the vehicle's ground clearance, one may determine whether it is possible to straddle the obstacle. If this is possible, a first trajectory is determined, which the vehicle must follow in order to straddle the obstacle, and the vehicle is controlled so that it follows the first trajectory and thus straddles the obstacle.

Straddling means intentionally driving over an obstacle without any of the vehicle's wheels or the underside of the vehicle hitting the obstacle. In this case, the vehicle does not need to drive around the obstacle, but may instead make a smaller diversion from a current trajectory which the vehicle is following. Thus a saving of both time and fuel is achieved, if the vehicle is driving in a narrow passage it may also be impossible to drive around the obstacle because there are obstructing wails. By straddling the obstacle it may be possible to avoid driving into the obstacle, even though the vehicle is inside the narrow passage. The vehicle's ground clearance means the shortest distance between the ground level and the lowest fixed point of the vehicle. This distance may vary between the wheels, and other items below the vehicle. According to another aspect, the objective of the invention is achieved with a method to control an autonomous vehicle with at least one pair of wheels in connection with obstacles.

The preferred embodiments are defined by the dependent patent claims.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 shows a traffic system comprising a number of autonomous vehicles. Figure 2 shows an autonomous vehicle scanning a road ahead.

Figure 3 shows a system according to one embodiment of the invention.

Figures 4A-4B show two examples of the space between the vehicle and the ground level.

Figure 5 shows new trajectories for the vehicle in relation to the current trajectory. Figure 8 shows a flow diagram for a method according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a traffic system, comprising three

autonomous vehicles 2 which are travelling along a road. The arrows in the autonomous vehicles 2 show their respective driving directions. The autonomous vehicles 2 may communicate with a control centre 1 via e.g. V2I communication (Vehicie-to-infrastructure) 3 and/or with each other via e.g. V2V communication (Vehicle-to-Vehicle) 4. This communication is wireless and may e.g. take place via a WLAN protocol (Wireless Local Area Network) IEEE 802.1 1 , e.g. IEEE 802.11 p. Other wireless ways to communicate are also possible. The control centre 1 organises the autonomous vehicles 2 and assigns tasks for them to complete. When an autonomous vehicle 2 receives a task, vehicle 2 may independently ensure that the task is completed. A task may consist of an instruction to collect goods at a goods collection point A. The vehicle 2 then has the capacity to determine its current position, to determine a path from the current position to the goods collection point A, and to go there. On the way, the vehicle 2 must also have the capacity to avoid obstacles and to handle other autonomous vehicles 2, which may have more important tasks and must be granted preference. In a driver-controlled vehicle, the driver may locate these obstacles and drive around them. With respect to an autonomous vehicle 2, the task is significantly more difficult. The control system 0, which will be described below, is designed to carry out this task. Figure 2 shows an autonomous vehicle 2, which is equipped with a control system 10 (Figure 3). Vehicle 2 has two pairs of wheels 6A, 6B and 7A, 7B, where each pair of wheels 6A, 6B and 7A, 7B comprises two wheels each. Vehicle 2 is also equipped with at least one scanning device 5, which is adapted to scanning the future road 8 of the vehicle 2 and to detecting obstacles 9 in the path of the vehicle 2. The scanning device 5 is adapted to generate an obstacle signal φι which identifies obstacles 9 in the road ahead 8. An obstacle 9 in the form of an angular rock 9 is here illustrated in the road 8, and will be detected by the scanning device 5. The scanning device 5 comprises, according to one

embodiment, one or several of a scanning camera, a scanning laser or a scanning radar. Figure 3 illustrates how the road 8 is scanned with the scanning device 5 over a width b of the road. The width b corresponds to at least the width of the vehicle 2 between the outer dimensions of the tyres 6A, 6B. The road 8 is scanned preferably a distance I ahead of the vehicle 2, e.g. 2-30 m, so that the vehicle 2 has time to avoid a potential obstacle 9. The scanning device 5 is, according to one embodiment, adapted to determine the distance d 1 to the obstacle 9 and/or the position of the obstacle 9, and to determine information about the obstacle 9. This information may comprise characteristics, such as the size of the obstacle 9, i.e. its extent in the horizontal plane, its width and its height. This may be carried out with conventional methods of detection and analysis. The distance d 1 to the obstacle 9 and the position of the obstacle 9 may e.g. be related to the position of the vehicle 2 in a local reference system, or in a global reference system in e.g. GNSS coordinates (Global Navigation Satellite System). In order to provide the position of the vehicle 2 in a global reference system, the vehicle 2 may be equipped with e.g. a GNSS receiver. GNSS is a generic name for a group of global navigation systems using signals from a constellation of satellites and pseudo-satellites to enable position measurement for a receiver. The American GPS system is the best known NSS system, but there are others, such as the Russian GLONASS and the prospective European Galileo. The position of vehicle 2 may also be determined by monitoring the signal strength from several access points for wireless networks (Wi-Fi) in the vicinity. The position of vehicle 2 may also be determined by using a map of the area and keeping track of where the vehicle 2 is located on the map with the help of information about how far the vehicle 2 has travelled and how the vehicle 2 is turning.

Figure 3 shows a block diagram for the control system 10 which is used to control the autonomous vehicle 2 in connection with obstacles. The control system 10 comprises a processor device 1 which is adapted to receive the obstacle signal cp1 from the detector device 5, with information about an obstacle 9 in the path of the vehicle 2. The information comprises at least the characteristics for the obstacle 9 and the position of the obstacle 9. According to one embodiment, the processor device 1 1 is adapted to receive a number of obstacle signals φ1 from one or several scanning devices 5, with information about the same obstacle 9, and to combine the information from several obstacle signals <p1 in order to produce more extensive and reliable information about the obstacle 9. The processor device 1 1 is adapted to analyse the information about the obstacle 9, according to rules for straddling the obstacle 9 in relation to the ground clearance of the vehicle 2. The rules comprise, according to one embodiment, at least one of the limit values for the size of obstacle 9 which the vehicle 2 may straddle and/or obstacle matching to identify previously known obstacles. The limit values for the size of obstacle 9 may comprise one or several limit values for the width of obstacle 9, and one or several limit values for the height of obstacle 9. The limit value or limit values for the width of obstacle 9 is/are adjusted to the shortest distance between the wheels in a pair of wheels 8A, 8B or 7A, 7B. The limit value or limit values for the height of the obstacle 9 is/are adjusted to the ground clearance of the vehicle 2, which comprises the shortest distance between the ground level 24 of the vehicle 2 and the lowest point of vehicle 2. The width of the obstacle 9 in this context means a maximum extension of the obstacle 9, parallel to a line that defines the shortest distance between the wheels in a pair of wheels 6A, 8B or 7A, 7B. By comparing the width of the obstacle 9 with the shortest distance between the wheels in a pair of wheels 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, and comparing the height of the distance 9 to the ground clearance of the vehicle 2, it is possible to determine whether the obstacle 9 is of such a size that the vehicle 2 is able to straddle the obstacle 9 without hitting the obstacle 9. If the result of the analysis shows that the obstacle 9 may be straddled by the vehicle 2, the processor device 1 1 is adapted to determine a first trajectory 9 for the vehicle 2, based at least on the position of vehicle 2, the position of the obstacle 9 and information regarding the ground clearance of the vehicle 2, so that the vehicle 2 straddles the obstacle 9. According to one embodiment, the processor device 11 is also adapted to receive a path signal q>2 which indicates a current trajectory 18 for the vehicle 2, and to determine a first trajectory 19 for the vehicle 2, also based on this current trajectory 18, The path signal φ2 may come from a device in the vehicle 2 which is adapted to determine a trajectory for the vehicle 2 based on the current position of the vehicle 2 and a final destination, and e.g. map information. Alternatively, the path signal φ2 may come as a wireless signal from e.g the control centre 1. The processor device 1 1 is further adapted to generate a trajectory signal φ3 which indicates the first trajectory 19, and to send the trajectory signal φ3 to a control device 12 in the vehicle 2, the vehicle 2 being controlled according to the first trajectory 19. Obstacle matching to identify previously known obstacles may entail taking one or several pictures of the obstacle 9 with the scanning device 5 and comparing the picture or the pictures with pictures of previously known obstacles in order to find a match, if a match is found, it is immediately known what type of obstacle it is, and also its size. According to one embodiment, the control system 10 comprises one or several scanning devices 5. According to one embodiment, the control system 10 comprises a receiver device

13 for wireless communication. The receiver device 13 is adapted to receive wireless communications between vehicles 4 and/or between vehicles and infrastructure 3, comprising information regarding obstacles 9 in the path of the vehicle 2, This information may comprise the position of the obstacle 9 in GPS coordinates, and the size of the obstacle 9. The receiver device 13 is adapted to generate an obstacle signal φ1 , indicating the information regarding the obstacle 9 in the path 8 of the vehicle 2. The receiver device 13, or the processor device 1 1 , may in this case be adapted to match the position of the obstacle 9 with the future route of the vehicle 2, in order to identify whether the obstacle 9 is on the future route 8 of the vehicle 2. In this manner, the control system 10 may receive information from other vehicles 2, roadside devices and/or the control centre 1 regarding detected obstacles 9. The figures 4A and 4B illustrate the ground clearance of the vehicle 2, and the wheels 6A, 6B as a wheel pair. The wheels 6A, 8B are connected to a wheel shaft

14 in Figure 4A. In the figure, the smallest distance between the insides of the wheels 6A and 6B is named w. The ground clearance is named h, in other words the smallest distance between the ground level 24 of the vehicle 2 and the lowest point on the vehicle 2. Here, the lowest point is the side of the wheel shaft 14, which is turned toward the ground level 24. in this example, the control system 10 needs only take into consideration a ground clearance h which is limited by the distances w and h. Figure 4B also shows a shaft 17 which limits the ground clearance. The shaft 17 is connected to two wheel shafts 15, 18 which in turn are connected to the respective wheels 8A and 6B. The distance between the lowest point of the shaft 7 and the ground level 24 is called hi . The distance between the inside of a wheel 8A in the wheel pair 6A, 8B to the shaft 17 is named w1 , the width of the shaft is named w2 and the distance between the shaft 17 and the inside of the other wheel SB is named w3. In this example, the control system 10 needs to take into consideration the different ground clearances h and hi , and the distances w1 , w2 and w3. Figure 5 shows an example of how a first trajectory 19 is determined in relation to a current trajectory 18. In this case, an obstacle 9 has been detected and an obstacle signal φ1 has been sent to the processor device 1 . The obstacle 9 is of such a size that the vehicle 2 is able to straddle it, in other words to drive over it so that the obstacle 9 is in the space below the vehicle 2, between the wheels 6A and 6B and the wheels 7A and 7B in the wheel pairs, without the vehicle 2 hitting the obstacle 9. The wheel pairs 6A, 6B and 7A, 7B are each connected with a wheel shaft 14, 23. The wheel shafts 4, 23 are here illustratively connected to a shaft 22. The wheel suspension may be designed in other ways, and the examples shown in this description are only meant to illustrate the principle of the invention. The vehicle 2 follows an already mapped road, according to a current trajectory 18. This current trajectory 18 comprises e.g. positions which the vehicle 2 should drive along. The space below the vehicle 2, between the wheels 6A and 6B and the wheels 7A and 7B in the wheel pairs, which is limited by the ground clearance and the distance between the inside of the wheels 6A and 6B and the wheels 7A and 7B, relates to the vehicle 2, and thus to the trajectory which the vehicle 2 follows. Seen from the trajectory of the vehicle 2, in order for the vehicle 2 to be able to straddle an obstacle, the distance interval or intervals of the obstacle 9 that the vehicle 2 may straddle is thus known. By determining the position of the obstacle 9 in relation to the vehicle's 2 current trajectory 18, the processor device 1 1 may calculate whether the vehicle 2 may straddle the obstacle 9 when it follows its current trajectory 18. In this event, the new first trajectory 19 will follow the current trajectory 8. if this is not possible, a new first trajectory 19 is determined, which is displaced in the horizontal plane, so that the obstacle 9 ends up within a distance interval from the new first trajectory 19, in which distance interval the obstacle 9 may be straddled by the vehicle 2. Figure 5 shows the new first trajectory 9 which has been displaced a distance w4 sideways, here x-ways, from the current trajectory 18 in order to be able to straddle the obstacle 9. The distance interval may e.g. be within w4 ± 0.5 meters. Preferably, a first trajectory 19 is determined in such a way that the obstacle 9 is straddled by wheels 8A, 6B and 7A, 7B between both wheel pairs. According to another embodiment, the processor device 11 is adapted to determine one or several trajectories 20, 21 for the space below the vehicle 2 between the wheels 6A, 8B, 7A, 7B in the wheel pairs, which is limited by the ground clearance and the distance between the insides of the wheels 8A, 8B, 7A, 7B in such a way that one of the trajectories 20, 21 is placed over the obstacle 9, so that the vehicle 2 straddles the obstacle 9, The processor device 1 1 is preferably adapted to control the vehicle 2 in order for it not to hit any walls or other objects when the new first trajectory 19 is calculated, in order to do this, the processor device 1 may be assisted by map information, detectors which scan the surroundings, etc. in Figure 5, the trajectories 19, 20, 21 , which are new in relation to the current trajectory 18, are marked with dashed lines.

The processor device 11 may be comprised of a computer in the vehicle 2, such as a control device (ECU - Electronic Control Unit). The control system 10 preferably comprises a processor capacity and a memory 23 to carry out the methods described herein. The control system 10 is adapted to communicate with different devices and systems in the vehicle 2 via one or several different networks in the vehicle 2, such as a wireless network, via CAN (Controller Area Network), LIN (Local interconnect Network) or Fiexray, etc. The invention also pertains to a method for the regulation of an autonomous vehicle 2, with at least one wheel pair 8A, 6B, 7A, 7B in connection with obstacle 9. The method is illustrated in the flow chart in Figure 8 and comprises a first step to: (A1) receive information regarding at least one obstacle in the path of the vehicle 2, where this information comprises at least the characteristics of the obstacle and the position of the obstacle 9. This step may comprise receiving wireless communications between vehicles 4 or between vehicles 4 and infrastructure 3, comprising information regarding obstacles in the path of the vehicle 2. in a second step (A2) the information regarding the obstacle is analysed in accordance with rules for straddling the obstacle in relation to the ground clearance of the vehicle 2. The ground clearance comprises the shortest distance between the vehicle's 2 ground level 24 and the lowest fixed point of the vehicle 2. The rules for straddling the obstacle comprise, according to one embodiment, at least one of determinations of the size of obstacle 9 which the vehicle 2 is able to straddle, or obstacle matching in order to identify previously known obstacles. More examples of rules for straddling have been described in connection with the description of the control system 10. If the result of the analysis shows that the obstacle 9 may be straddled by the vehicle 2 (A3), the method comprises: (A4) determining a first trajectory 19 for the vehicle 2 based at least on the position of vehicle 2, the position of the obstacle 9 and information regarding the ground clearance of the vehicle 2, so that the vehicle 2 straddles the obstacle. According to one embodiment, the step A4 also comprises receiving a current trajectory 18 for the vehicle 2, and determining a first trajectory 9 for the vehicle 2 also based on this current trajectory 18. In a step A5, the first trajectory 19 is sent to a control system in the vehicle 2, following which the vehicle 2 in step A6 is controlled according to the first trajectory 19. if the obstacle 9 may not be straddled by the vehicle 2, according to one embodiment, a new trajectory is determined in a step A7, so that the vehicle 2 may drive around the obstacle 9 with its entire width. Subsequently, the new trajectory is sent to the control system in the vehicle 2 in step A5, following which the vehicle 2 is controlled accordingly (A6). The method then reverts back to step A1 in order to receive information about the obstacle 9 in the path of the vehicle 2.

The invention also pertains to a computer program P in an autonomous vehicle, where the computer program P comprises program code to induce the control system 0 to carry out the steps according to the method. Figure 3 shows the computer program P as a part of the memory 23. The computer program P is thus stored in the memory 23. The memory 23 is connected to the processor device 1 , and when the computer program P is executed by the processor device 1 1 at least parts of the methods described herein are carried out. The invention also comprises a computer program product comprising a program code stored on a computer-readable medium, in order to carry out the method steps described herein, when the program code is executed in the control system 10. The present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. Various alternatives, modifications and equivalents may be used. The embodiments above shall therefore not be deemed to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the enclosed patent claims.

Claims

Patent claim

1. Control system ( 0) to control an autonomous vehicle (2) with at least one first wheel pair (6A, 6B, 7A, 7B) in connection with an obstacle (9), the system (10) comprising a processor device (11) which is adapted to receive an obstacle signal φ1 with information about an obstacle (9) in the path of the vehicle (2), the information comprising at least the characteristics for the obstacle (9) and the position of the obstacle (9), characterised in that the processor device (1 ) is also adapted to

- analyse information regarding the obstacle (9) in accordance with rules for straddling the obstacle in relation to the ground clearance of the vehicle

(2) and in relation to a maximum extension of the obstacle, parallel to a line that defines the shortest distance between the wheels in said one first wheel pair (6A, 6B, 7A, 7B); and if the result of this analysis indicates that the obstacle (9) may be straddled by the vehicle (2), the processor device (11) is adapted to:

- determine a first trajectory (19) for the vehicle (2) based at least on the position of the vehicle (2), the position of the obstacle (9) and information regarding the ground clearance of the vehicle (2), so that the vehicle (2) straddles the obstacle (9);

- generate a trajectory signal <p3, indicating said trajectory (19);

- send the trajectory signal <p3 to a control device (12) in the vehicle, the vehicle (2) being controlled according to the first trajectory (19).

2. Control system (10) according to claim 1 , comprising a receiver device (13) for wireless communication, adapted to receive wireless

communications between vehicles (4) and/or between vehicles and infrastructure

(3) , comprising information regarding obstacles in the path of the vehicle (2), the receiver device (13) being adapted to generate an obstacle signal φ1 , indicating said information regarding obstacles in the path of the vehicle (2),

3. Control system according to any of the previous claims, comprising one or several scanning devices (5), comprising one or several of a camera detector, a laser detector or a radar detector, said one or several scanning devices (5) being adapted to detect obstacles (9) in the path of the vehicle (2), and to generate an obstacle signal φ1 indicating obstacles (9) in the path of the vehicle (2),

4. Control system (10) according to one of the previous claims, wherein said rules for straddling the obstacle (9) comprise at least one of the limit values for the size of the obstacle (9) which the vehicle (10) is able to straddle, or obstacle matching in order to identify previously known obstacles.

5. Control system (10) according to claim 2 and one of the previous claims, wherein said ground clearance comprises the shortest distance between the ground level (24) of the vehicle (2) and a lowest fixed point on the vehicle (2). 6. Control system (10) according to any of the previous claims, wherein the processor device (1 ) is adapted to receive a path signal q>2, indicating a current trajectory (18) for the vehicle (2), and to determine a first trajectory (19) for the vehicle (2) also based on this current trajectory (18). 7. Method to control an autonomous vehicle (2) with at least one wheel pair (6A, 8B, 7A, 7B) in connection with obstacles, comprising:

- receiving information regarding at least one obstacle (9) in the path of the vehicle (2), this information comprising at least the characteristics of the obstacle (9) and the position of the obstacle (9);

- analysing information regarding the obstacle (9) in accordance with rules for straddling the obstacle in relation to the ground clearance of the vehicle (2) and in relation to a maximum extension of the obstacle, parallel to a line that defines the shortest distance between the wheels in said one first wheel pair (6A, 6B, 7A, 7B); and if the result of this analysis indicates that the obstacle (9) may be straddled by the vehicle (2), the processor device (11) is adapted to:

- determining a first trajectory (19) for the vehicle (2) based at least on the position of vehicle (2), the position of the obstacle (9) and information regarding the ground clearance of the vehicle (2), so that the vehicle (2) straddles the obstacle (9);

- sending the first trajectory (19) to a control system in the vehicle (2);

- controlling the vehicle (2) according to the first trajectory ( 9).

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein said step to receive information regarding obstacles (9) comprises receiving wireless communications between vehicles (4) and/or between vehicles and infrastructure (3), comprising information regarding obstacles in the path of the vehicle (2).

9. Method according to any of claims 7 or 8, wherein said step to receive information regarding obstacles (9) comprises detecting obstacles (9) in the path of the vehicle (2). 10. Method according to any of claims 7 to 9, wherein said rules for straddling the obstacle (9) comprise at least one of the limit values for the size of the obstacle (9) which the vehicle (2) is able to straddle, or obstacle matching in order to identify previously known obstacles. 1 . Method according to any of claims 7 to 10, wherein said ground clearance comprises the shortest distance between the ground level (24) of the vehicle (2) and a lowest fixed point on the vehicle (2).

12. Method according to any of claims 7 to 11 , comprising the step to receive a current trajectory for the vehicle (2), and to determine a first trajectory

( 9) for the vehicle (2) also based on this current trajectory.

13. Computer program (P) in an autonomous vehicle, said computer program (P) comprising program code to induce the control system (10) to carry out the steps according to any of claims 7 to 12.

14. Computer program product comprising a program code stored on a computer-readable medium in order to execute the method steps according to any of claims 7 to 12, when said program code is executed in a control system (10).