Beamforming is an advanced signal processing technique used in sensor arrays for directional signal transmission
or reception. The paper deals with a system based on an ultrasound transmitter and an array of
receivers, to determine the distance to an obstacle by measuring the time of flight and – using the phase
beamforming technique to process the output signals of receivers for finding the direction from which the
reflected signal is received – locates the obstacle. The embedded beam-former interacts with a PID-based
line follower robot to improve performance of the line follower navigation algorithm by detecting and
avoiding obstacles. The PID (proportional-integral-derivative) algorithm is also typically used to control
industrial processes. It calculates the difference between a measured value and a desired set of points, then
attempts to minimize the error by adjusting the output. The overall navigation system combines a PID-based
trajectory follower with a spatial-temporal filter (beamformer) that uses the output of an array of sensors to
extract signals received from an obstacle in a particular direction in order to guide an autonomous vehicle
or a robot along a safe path.
The article presents possible ways of development of decision-making processes in autonomous vehicles. The highest degree of autonomy means that it is not the driver but the system, machine or artificial intelligence that makes decisions about road activities. The total autonomy of vehicles gives them predictability, limits the number of accidents they cause, but also highlights the need to develop an ethical system that artificial intelligence will be able to refer to in a critical situation. It is not possible to foresee all the situations that will occur on the roads, so it is necessary to create robot- -human rights that will be a new and binding kind of decalogue. The key issue is that robotic-human rights should be universal, transparent and really applicable to everyone, otherwise there will be chaos on the road and the expected decrease of the number of accidents due to the introduction of autonomous vehicles will not come to pass.