Automated Trajectory and Path Planning Analysis Based on Ultra Wideband Data

Abstract

This work studies the utility of ultra wideband (UWB) sensor technology for optimizing construction site operations. In particular, recorded trajectory signals provide important behavioral information regarding site usage that can be exploited for planning and logistical purposes. Here, post processed trajectory information from UWB signals populate an occupancy grid, which is a spatial histogram of workers, travel patterns. The occupancy grid is used for path planning and serves two purposes. The first suggests optimal paths for workers while the second generates optimal paths for vehicles. The path generation algorithm provides multiple paths, and optimality scores for a variety of path metrics, including distance, time, and worker sparsity. To generate the optimal paths, a path planning graph is generated from the occupancy grid and any automatically determined or manually specified obstacles. The algorithm applies equally to any mobile, major construction resource: workers, equipment, and materials that are tagged with a UWB tag. Vital statistics obtained from the calculated paths provide important operational information to site operations and safety managers.