The Boeing Company
Variably controlled ground vehicle

Abstract:

Method and apparatus for providing autonomous control of a vehicle. A vehicle can be manually controlled by an operator. An autonomous system can monitor the operator's control inputs and the environment of the vehicle to determine whether the control inputs result in safe operation of the vehicle. If control inputs are not safe, then the autonomous system can modify the operator's unsafe inputs into safe inputs. In various instances, the autonomous system can operate the vehicle without operator input. In the event an operator attempts to apply control inputs to the vehicle while the autonomous system is otherwise in control, the autonomous system can check to see whether the operator's inputs result in safe operation of the vehicle. If the operator's control inputs are safe, then the autonomous system can replace its autonomous commands with the operator's commands.