Simulation 3D Ultrasonic Array

Ultrasonic sensor model with tunable acoustic parameters in 3D simulation environment

Since R2024a

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  • Simulation 3d ultrasonic array block icon.

Libraries:
Automated Driving Toolbox / Simulation 3D
Simulink 3D Animation / Simulation 3D / Sensors

Description

The Simulation 3D Ultrasonic Array block generates detections from range measurements taken by an array of ultrasonic sensors with tunable acoustic parameters, mounted on an ego vehicle in a 3D simulation environment. This environment is rendered using the Unreal Engine® from Epic Games®. The block calculates range measurements based on the distance between the sensor and the closest point on the detected object. The block also provides parameters to control the waveform of the ultrasonic signal used by the sensor to calculate range measurements.

If you set Sample time to -1, the block uses the sample time specified in the Simulation 3D Scene Configuration block. To use this sensor, you must include a Simulation 3D Scene Configuration block in your model.

Tip

The Simulation 3D Scene Configuration block must execute before the Simulation 3D Ultrasonic Array block. That way, the Unreal Engine 3D visualization environment prepares the data before the Simulation 3D Ultrasonic Array block receives it. To check the block execution order, right-click the blocks and select Properties. On the General tab, confirm these Priority settings:

  • Simulation 3D Scene Configuration — 0

  • Simulation 3D Ultrasonic Array — 1

For more information about execution order, see Control and Display Execution Order (Simulink).

The Coordinate system parameter of the block specifies how the actor transformations are applied in the 3D environment. The output of the block also follows the specified coordinate system.

Ports

Output

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Flag indicating whether any detectable object is present in the sensor field-of-view, returned as a logical scalar. An object is considered detectable if its closest distance to the sensor is greater than the minimum detection-only range specified in the Detection ranges (m) parameter.

Flag indicating whether range measurement is possible for any object present in the sensor field-of-view, returned as a logical scalar. For any object in the field-of-view, range measurement is possible if its closest distance to the sensor is greater than the minimum-distance range specified in the Detection ranges (m) parameter.

Distance measurement to the closest object, returned as a nonnegative scalar.

Sensor location along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis of the scene.

Dependencies

To enable this port, on the Ground Truth tab, select Output location and orientation.

Data Types: double

Roll, pitch, and yaw sensor orientation about the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis of the scene.

Dependencies

To enable this port, on the Ground Truth tab, select Output location and orientation.

Data Types: double

Parameters

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Mounting

Specify the unique identifier of the sensor. In a multisensor system, the sensor identifier enables you to distinguish between sensors. When you add a new sensor block to your model, the Sensor identifier of that block is N + 1, where N is the highest Sensor identifier value among the existing sensor blocks in the model.

Example: 2

Name of the parent to which the sensor is mounted, specified as Scene Origin or as the name of a vehicle in your model. The vehicle names that you can select correspond to the Name parameters of the simulation 3D vehicle blocks in your model. If you select Scene Origin, the block places a sensor at the scene origin.

Example: SimulinkVehicle1

Since R2025a

Specify the coordinate system that the actor uses for translation and rotation in the 3D environment.

  • Default – World coordinate system

  • MATLAB – MATLAB® coordinate system

  • ISO8855 – ISO 8855 standard coordinate system

  • AERO – SAE coordinate system

  • VRML – X3D ISO standard coordinate system

  • SAE – SAE coordinate system

For more details on the different coordinate systems, see Coordinate Systems in Simulink 3D Animation.

Example: MATLAB

Sensor mounting location. By default, the block places the sensor relative to the scene or vehicle origin, depending on the Parent name parameter.

  • When Parent name is Scene Origin, the block mounts the sensor to the origin of the scene. You can set the Mounting location to Origin only. During simulation, the sensor remains stationary.

  • When Parent name is the name of a vehicle, the block mounts the sensor to one of the predefined mounting locations described in the table. During simulation, the sensor travels with the vehicle. For example, the table provides the mounting locations in the ISO 8855 standard coordinate system.

Mounting LocationDescriptionOrientation Relative to Vehicle Origin [Roll, Pitch, Yaw] (deg)
Origin

Forward-facing sensor mounted to the vehicle origin, which is on the ground and at the geometric center of the vehicle (see Coordinate Systems in Simulink 3D Animation)

Vehicle with sensor mounted at origin

[0, 0, 0]

Front bumper

Front center

Forward-facing sensor mounted to the front bumper

Vehicle with sensor mounted at front bumper

[0, 0, 0]

Rear bumper

Rear center

Backward-facing sensor mounted to the rear bumper

Vehicle with sensor mounted at rear bumper

[0, 0, 180]
Right mirror

Downward-facing sensor mounted to the right side-view mirror

Vehicle with sensor mounted at right side-view mirror

[0, –90, 0]
Left mirror

Downward-facing sensor mounted to the left side-view mirror

Vehicle with sensor mounted at left side-view mirror

[0, –90, 0]
Rearview mirror

Forward-facing sensor mounted to the rearview mirror, inside the vehicle

Vehicle with sensor mounted at rearview mirror

[0, 0, 0]
Hood center

Forward-facing sensor mounted to the center of the hood

Vehicle with sensor mounted at hood center

[0, 0, 0]
Roof center

Forward-facing sensor mounted to the center of the roof

Vehicle with sensor mounted at roof center

[0, 0, 0]

The X-Y-Z mounting location of the sensor relative to the vehicle depends on the vehicle type. To specify the vehicle type, use the Type parameter of the Simulation 3D Vehicle with Ground Following to which you mount the sensor. To obtain the X-Y-Z mounting locations for a vehicle type, see the reference page for that vehicle.

To determine the location of the sensor, open the sensor block. Then, on the Ground Truth tab, select the Output location and orientation parameter and inspect the data from the Translation output port.

Select this parameter to specify an offset from the mounting location by using the Relative translation [X, Y, Z] and Relative rotation [Roll, Pitch, Yaw] parameters.

Translation offset relative to the mounting location of the sensor, specified as a real-valued 1-by-3 vector of the form [X, Y, Z].

You can mount the sensor to a vehicle by setting Parent name to the name of that vehicle. The origin is the mounting location specified in the Mounting location parameter. This origin is different from the vehicle origin, which is the geometric center of the vehicle. You can also mount the sensor to the scene origin by setting Parent name to Scene Origin.

For more details about the coordinate systems, see Coordinate Systems in Simulink 3D Animation.

Example: [0,0,0.01]

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, select Specify offset.

Rotational offset relative to the mounting location of the sensor, specified as a real-valued 1-by-3 vector of the form [Roll, Pitch, Yaw]. Roll, pitch, and yaw are the angles of rotation about the X-, Y-, and Z-axes, respectively.

You can mount the sensor to a vehicle by setting Parent name to the name of that vehicle. The origin is the mounting location specified in the Mounting location parameter. This origin is different from the vehicle origin, which is the geometric center of the vehicle. You can also mount the sensor to the scene origin by setting Parent name to Scene Origin.

For more details about the coordinate systems, see Coordinate Systems in Simulink 3D Animation.

Example: [0,0,10]

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, select Specify offset.

Sample time of the block, in seconds, specified as a positive scalar. The 3D simulation environment frame rate is the inverse of the sample time.

If you set the sample time to -1, the block inherits its sample time from the Simulation 3D Scene Configuration block.

Sensor Parameters

Intrinsic parameters

Relative mounting locations of individual sensors in the ultrasonic array, specified as a real-valued N-by-3 array. N is the number of sensors in the ultrasonic array and the locations are relative to the sensor mounting position specified by the Mounting Location parameter. Each row of the array must be a 1-by-3 vector of the form [X, Y, Z]. Units are in meters.

Relative mounting rotations of individual sensors in the ultrasonic array, specified as a real-valued N-by-3 array. N is the number of sensors in the ultrasonic array and the rotations are relative to the sensor mounting orientation specified by the Mounting Location parameter. Each row of the array must be a 1-by-3 vector of the form [roll, pitch, yaw].

Horizontal field of view of ultrasonic array, specified as a positive real scalar. This field of view defines the total angular extent spanned by all sensors of the ultrasonic array in the horizontal direction relative to their orientations. You must specify the horizontal field of view horizontalFOV in the range (0, 360]. Units are in degrees.

Vertical field of view of ultrasonic array, specified as a positive real scalar. This field of view defines the total angular extent spanned by all sensors of the ultrasonic array in the vertical direction relative to their orientations. You must specify the vertical field of view in the range (0, 180]. Units are in degrees.

Detection range vector of the ultrasonic array, specified as a 1-by-3 nonnegative real-valued vector of the form [minDetOnlyRange minDistRange maxDistRange], where minDetOnlyRange < minDistRange < maxDistRange. Units are in meters. These values determine the detections and distance values returned by the ultrasonic array.

  • When the detected object is at a distance between minDistRange and maxDistRange, the sensor returns a positive distance value.

  • When the detected object is at a distance between minDetOnlyRange and minDistRange, the sensor detects the object, but cannot determine the distance and returns a value of 0.

  • When the object is at a distance below minDetOnlyRange or above maxDistRange, the sensor returns an empty cell array.

Signal parameters

Frequency of sound waves used by all sensor emitters in the ultrasonic array, specified as a positive real scalar. Units are in kHz.

Sampling frequency of all sensor receivers in the ultrasonic array, specified as a positive real scalar. To sample a signal of a given frequency, the sampling frequency of the receiver must be at least two times that frequency. Units are in kHz.

Pulse width of the ultrasonic waves used by all sensors in the ultrasonic array, specified as a positive real scalar.

Vector gain for the sound signal used by the sensors in ultrasonic array, real-valued scalar or a 1-by-2 vector of the form [a, b]. The blocks multiplies the scalar gain as a constant, and the vector gain as a time signal of the form a + b*t with the ultrasonic signal.

Speed of sound in the environment, specified as a positive real scalar. Units are in m/s.

Ground Truth

Select this parameter to output the translation and rotation of the sensor at the Translation and Rotation ports, respectively.

Version History

Introduced in R2024a

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See Also

Topics