FIELD: physics.
SUBSTANCE: self-position calculating device includes: a light projector 11 configured to project a structured light beam onto a road surface near the vehicle; an image pickup unit 12 mounted in the vehicle and configured to grip and obtain a road surface image near the vehicle covering the area of the projected structured light beam; an orientation angle calculation means 22 configured to calculate the attitude angle of the vehicle relative to the road surface from the shape of the structured light beam in the image obtained by the image pickup unit 12; a characteristic point detection means 23 configured to detect a plurality of characteristic points on the road surface from an image obtained by the image capturing unit 12; orientation change amount calculation means 24 configured to calculate a change amount in the vehicle orientation based on temporal changes in a plurality of characteristic points on the road surface detected by the characteristic point detection means 23; and self-position calculation means 25 configured to calculate the current position and the current vehicle orientation angle by adding a change amount in the orientation to the start position and the initial orientation angle of the vehicle with respect to the road surface. Depending on how the characteristic points on the road surface are detected by the characteristic point detection means, the light projector 11 selectively projects the structured light beam to a specific area of the structured light beam projection from the plurality of regions of the structured light beam projection.
EFFECT: identification of characteristic points when distinguishing between characteristic points and a structured light beam, and thereby calculating the vehicle's own position.
6 cl, 30 dwg
