An autonomous vehicle includes an array of sensors, a processor, and a switch. The array of sensors generate sensor data related to one or more objects in an external environment of the autonomous vehicle and the processor determines an environmental context. The switch transfers the sensor data from the array of sensors to the processor, where the switch is configured to: (a) receive first sensor data from a first sensor group of the array of sensors; (b) receive second sensor data from a second sensor group of the array of sensors; (c) determine an order of transmission of the first sensor data over the second sensor data in response to the environmental context; and (d) transmit the first sensor data to the processor prior to transmitting the second sensor data based on the order of transmission.

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide high resolution interpolation of arrival direction of echo return signals using an active mills cross arrangement, such as in sonar or other ranging sensor systems. A system may include an active mills cross arrangement with high resolution interpolation of echo returns in two planes. The active mills cross arrangement may include a transmitter configured to emit one or more signals, a first line array including a first plurality of elements defining a first plane, and a second line array including a second plurality of elements defining a second plane orthogonal to the first plane. At least one of the first line array and the second line array may be configured to receive echo returns of the emitted signals from one or more objects or targets.

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide high resolution interpolation of arrival direction of echo return signals using an active mills cross arrangement, such as in sonar or other ranging sensor systems. A system may include an active mills cross arrangement with high resolution interpolation of echo returns in two planes. The active mills cross arrangement may include a transmitter configured to emit one or more signals, a first line array including a first plurality of elements defining a first plane, and a second line array including a second plurality of elements defining a second plane orthogonal to the first plane. At least one of the first line array and the second line array may be configured to receive echo returns of the emitted signals from one or more objects or targets.

Sensor data is received from an array of sensors configured to capture one or more objects in an external environment of an autonomous vehicle. A first sensor group is selected from the array of sensors based on proximity data or environmental contexts. First sensor data from the first sensor group is prioritized for transmission based on the proximity data or environmental contexts.

A position detection system using a sensor, including a sensor unit including a plurality of sensors for transmitting a transmission signal or receiving a reflection signal reflected from an obstacle and configured to acquire a time of flight (TOF) of the received reflection signal, a storage unit configured to pre-store a position map of the obstacle for respective sensors depending on the TOF of the reflection signal on a grid map including a plurality of cells, and a position estimator configured to estimate a position of the obstacle based on the TOF of the reflection signal received by the sensor unit and the position map of the obstacle pre-stored in the storage unit.

A method for detecting an obstacle includes the steps of: calculating, for each point of a space around a telemeter, a plurality of corresponding intermediate probabilities of presence, each intermediate probability of presence being associated with a respective orientation of the telemeter among a plurality of predetermined orientations around a current orientation of the telemeter, each orientation being certain; for each point of space, calculating a probability of the presence of an obstacle from each corresponding intermediate probability of presence and from an uncertainty model on the orientation of the telemeter; and generating an alert if the probability of the presence of an obstacle in a predetermined zone with respect to the telemeter is greater than or equal to a predetermined alert threshold.

A three-dimensional (3D) terrain reconstruction method for a scoured area around bridge pier foundation based on a mechanical scanned imaging sonar includes scanning an overall terrain of a scoured area around bridge pier foundation with a sonar from different azimuths to acquire n sonar images of a foundation scouring terrain; intercepting multiple analysis sections from each of acquired sonar images at a same distance; extracting key parameters of upper and lower edges on a terrain imaging strip in each of the analysis sections in the image, and transforming extracted parameters to a 3D space, a fan-shaped beam surface of the sonar being represented with a fan-shaped arc; recognizing a scour terrain profile in the analysis section; recognizing terrain profiles one by one, and respectively extracting spatially scattered 3D coordinate data; and performing interpolation and fitting on the spatially scattered data, thus implementing 3D reconstruction for the foundation scouring terrain.

A method of operating a PMUT electro-acoustical transducer, the method comprising: applying over an excitation interval to the transducer an excitation signal which is configured to emit corresponding ultrasound pulses towards a surrounding space, acquiring at a receiver reflected ultrasound pulses as reflected in said surrounding space, generating a reference echo signal, performing a cross-correlation of said acquired received ultrasound pulses with said reference echo signal, performing a measurement based on the cross-correlation results, in particular a measurement of the time of flight of the ultrasound pulses, wherein said reference echo is obtained by finding an oscillation frequency of the transmitter on the basis of a transmitter ringdown signal, finding an oscillation frequency of the receiver on the basis of a receiver ringdown signal, performing a frequency tuning respectively on the transmitter and the receiver on the basis of said respective oscillation frequencies, then sweeping an input frequency of the transmitter to find a frequency of the maximum displacement in the ringdown signal, performing a frequency tuning of the receiver at said frequency of the maximum displacement in the ringdown signal of the transmitter.

Provided is an ultrasound imaging apparatus capable of reducing examination time with optimizing parameters on an examination basis. A subject is irradiated with an ultrasound wave, and a plurality of ultrasound transducers receives the ultrasound wave from the subject to obtain received signals. A feature value is calculated from the received signals, the feature value indicating a frequency-dependent characteristic of attenuation of the ultrasound wave, associated with propagation of the ultrasound wave through the subject. A predetermined processing is performed on the received signals using one or more received-signal processing parameters to generate an image. An image processing is performed on the generated image using one or more image processing parameters. Values of the received-signal processing parameter and the image processing parameter are determined based on the feature value.

Provided is an ultrasound imaging apparatus capable of reducing examination time with optimizing parameters on an examination basis. A subject is irradiated with an ultrasound wave, and a plurality of ultrasound transducers receives the ultrasound wave from the subject to obtain received signals. A feature value is calculated from the received signals, the feature value indicating a frequency-dependent characteristic of attenuation of the ultrasound wave, associated with propagation of the ultrasound wave through the subject. A predetermined processing is performed on the received signals using one or more received-signal processing parameters to generate an image. An image processing is performed on the generated image using one or more image processing parameters. Values of the received-signal processing parameter and the image processing parameter are determined based on the feature value.