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Parallel Parking Problem
Parallel Parking Problem
.
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CURB
(a )
EZH(~73
2aj~
(b)
CURB
(c )
CURB
(d)
CURB
2ay
y=g(x)
-2a
2a
Figure 1.
CURB
(e)
involved in extricating
Cyclic operations
efficiently from a narrow parking place.
an automobile
and forth,making virtual contact with the other automobiles, and concurrently manipulating the steering wheel. Consider Fig. la. The car in the
middle has a wheelbase b, and is spaced the small distance a, both from
63
64
MATHEMATICS
(Nov.-Dec.
MAGAZINE
the car in frontand the car in the rear. Assume that the driver backs his
car until his rear bumpervirtually touches the frontbumperof the car behind him. Figure lb is assumed to be the initial configurationof the parallel parking problem which can be formulatedas follows: What cyclic
operations must the driver performin order to displace his automobile laterally sufficientlyfar to escape confinementfroma narrowparallel parking
place ?
If the confinementis close, the trapped automobile can only oscillate
back and forth,and any lateral motion of the car will be small for each
cycle. Since the car initially is parallel to the curb, the imposition of
periodicity implies that the car becomes parallel to the curb again at the
end of each cycle of operation. Consider a cartesian coordinate system
with the origin determinedby the initial position of the rightrear wheel as
shown in Fig. lc, and let the x axis be directed parallel to the curb. Assume, Fig. Id, that the initial cycle of operation produces a track of the
rightrear wheel specified by the relation
(1)
y=
f(Yx)
(2)
y(2a) = Ay,
(2a) = O,
' = xb(
Z + b(l ~~~+
V2)-Y2,
(4)
y'-= y+ bp(l + p2
)-Y2
(5)
y'dx'..
(6)
W= Fydx_
bydXg +J b4dw
(1+y2)
3/2
(I + 2)?2
(1 +Py2)2
Integrate the second termon the right-handside of Eq. (6) by parts to obtain
PARALLEL
1960)
PARKING
2ypdp
~~~b
2
2
(7)
(7)
(+f
2) 3/
PROBLEM
2y
(+
65
+|29dx
(+
2)V/2
p2)Xj
(8)
p'2d~'
b2
Integrate Eq. (8) over a complete cycle. Imposition of the boundaryconditions, Eqs. (2), reduces Eq. (8) to
f>
(9)
fydx = bAy.
Y'dx'
(0,rr)
(0,0)
1.
~~~y=f2(x)
A va\
(2a,Ay)
I~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(2a,r, Figure3(r1+r2)2-4a2)
66
MATHEMATICS
MAGAZINE
r =2+t
Y2(X)
with the respective bounded curvatures il/p1 < l/r and i/p2 ? i/r2. Each
of the dashed lines lies either on or outside of the circle determinedby
its associated arc. This fact is inferred by considering the arcs as the
limits of the arbitrarycurves as their respective curvatures approach l/r1
and l/r2. As I/p1
-+
clockwise with reference to the origin and toward the circular arc. Thus,
AXy
is maximumwhen y1(x) and Y2(x) are circular arcs. In this case
(11)
+ r2)2
4a 21 1?
For the special case where Ay is maximumthe area of Fig. 2 is determined by circular arcs of radii r1, r2, (rT +b2)1/2, and (r 2+ b2)?V2. Each
wheel turns throughthe same arc; that is, sin- 2a/(r +r2). At any instant of time all fourwheels are rotatingaround a commonpoint. It can be
verified by integration, or otherwise, that the area of Fig. 2 is given by
bAy where Ay is specified by Eq. (11).