Abstract: According to one aspect, a method includes identifying, using a vehicle control system (VCS) of a vehicle, an issue associated with the vehicle. A criticality level of the issue is determined using the VCS, and the VCS determines at least one action to perform based on the criticality level. Determining the at least one action to perform includes determining whether to accept a first trajectory update generated by the trajectory generation system. The method also includes performing the at least one action, wherein performing the at least one action includes updating the trajectory using the first trajectory update when it is determined that the first trajectory update is be accepted, and wherein performing the at least one action further includes declining the first trajectory update when it is determined that the first trajectory update is not to be accepted.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a method includes propelling a vehicle to a location. The vehicle includes at least one compartment configured to contain at least one delivery item and at least one transfer mechanism, the transfer mechanism arranged to be activated to cause the delivery item to be purged from the at least one compartment. The method also includes determining when the vehicle is authorized to deliver the delivery item at the location, aligning the vehicle with respect to a target at the location, opening a door to the at least one compartment, and activating the transfer mechanism after opening the door. Activating the transfer mechanism includes causing the transfer mechanism to purge the delivery item such that the delivery item is obtained by the target. The target is arranged to receive the delivery item when the delivery item is purged from the at least one compartment.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a method includes detecting, through a detection interface of a vehicle, an installation of a first compartment insert in a first compartment of the vehicle, wherein detecting the installation includes determining when the detection interface is in contact with a second interface of the first compartment insert. After detecting the installation of the first compartment insert, it is determined whether the first compartment insert is capable of transmitting information to the vehicle. The method also includes obtaining the information from the first compartment insert when it is determined that the first compartment insert is capable of transmitting the information to the vehicle, and identifying a type associated with the first compartment insert from the information.

Abstract: Safety metrics and/or statistical system assurance of a particular package of autonomy driving software may be substantially measured using data collected from manually driving a vehicle in the real word, simulations of scenarios which may be faced by a vehicle in the real world, simulations executed with actual software and/or hardware on a vehicle, and/or end-to-end testing of a vehicle in a test environment. Safety metrics and performance of AV software and hardware may be further evaluated through vehicle-in-the-loop testing. During each test scenario, a corresponding set of simulated perception data may be injected to the systems of the autonomous vehicle to cause the autonomous vehicle to react and behave as if one or more simulated objects described by the set of simulated perception data were in the environment of the autonomous vehicle. Each test scenario may be triggered to be performed based on, for example, the autonomous vehicle's location within a real-world vehicle testing space.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a method for detecting a location from which at least one sound signal originates, includes obtaining, on a microphone array of a vehicle, the at least one sound signal from a sound source, the sound source being external to the vehicle, the vehicle having a plurality of sides. The method also includes identifying, based on at least one measure associated with the at least one sound signal as obtained on the microphone array, at least a first side of the plurality of sides as being closest to the sound source.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a method includes determining when a vehicle has arrived at a destination and performing a first authentication process when it is determined that the vehicle has arrived at the destination. The first authentication process being arranged to authenticate a first party to enable the first party to interact with the vehicle. The method also includes determining when the first party has successfully completed the first authentication process, performing a second process when it is determined that the first party has successfully completed the first authentication process, determining whether the second process is successfully completed, and enabling the first party to interact with the vehicle when it is determined that the second process is successfully completed. Performing the second process includes determining when the first party is present within the sensing zone. The first authentication process and the second process are contactless with respect to the vehicle.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a method includes obtaining a sensor assembly that includes at least a first camera and a second camera, and positioning the sensor assembly in an enclosure of a sensor testing system. The enclosure has a first enclosure target and a second enclosure target affixed thereon, and includes a sensor arrangement. The sensor testing assembly further includes a computing arrangement and a data acquisition arrangement, The method also includes performing a first test on the sensor assembly by providing commands to the sensor assembly using the computing arrangement, and monitoring the sensor assembly during the first test. Monitoring the sensor assembly includes obtaining data from the sensor assembly and/or the sensor arrangement, and providing the data to the data acquisition arrangement. Finally, the method includes processing the data, wherein processing the data includes determining whether the data indicates that the sensor assembly passes the first test.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a method includes obtaining a command on a vehicle, the command being arranged to identify a first action to be taken by the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is in a first vehicle state and the command has a first command state. The method also includes determining, on the vehicle, whether the first command state is consistent with the first vehicle state. When it is determined that the first command state is consistent with the first vehicle state, the method includes executing the first command. When it is determined that the first command state is not consistent with the first vehicle state, the method includes identifying the first command as an illegitimate command and ignoring the illegitimate command.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a vehicle includes a body and a rapid deceleration system that is configured to decelerate the body traveling on a road surface. The rapid deceleration system includes at least a first rapid deceleration mechanism coupled to the body, the first rapid deceleration mechanism including a first anchor, a first slider, and a first energetics arrangement configured to propel the at first anchor from the body toward the road surface to decelerate the body, wherein the first slider moves along a first axis to dissipate energy when the first anchor is propelled toward the road surface along a second axis.

Abstract: A method and a system of calibration of a first lidar device and a second lidar device are described. A subset of pairs of positions of a vehicle as the vehicle moves along a path according to a predetermined path pattern are determined. Each pair from the subset of pairs includes a first position and a second position of the vehicle. A first field of view of the first lidar device when the vehicle is located at the first position overlaps with a second field of view of the second lidar device when the vehicle is located at the second position at a second time. Based on the subset of pairs, an extrinsic calibration transformation that transforms a position of the second lidar device into a calibrated position that allows to obtain a consistent view of the world between the first and the second lidar devices is determined.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a method includes propelling a vehicle to a location. The vehicle includes at least one compartment configured to contain at least one delivery item and at least one transfer mechanism, the transfer mechanism arranged to be activated to cause the delivery item to be purged from the at least one compartment. The method also includes determining when the vehicle is authorized to deliver the delivery item at the location, aligning the vehicle with respect to a target at the location, opening a door to the at least one compartment, and activating the transfer mechanism after opening the door. Activating the transfer mechanism includes causing the transfer mechanism to purge the delivery item such that the delivery item is obtained by the target. The target is arranged to receive the delivery item when the delivery item is purged from the at least one compartment.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a relatively low-cost sensor for use on an autonomous vehicle is capable of detecting moving objects in a range or a zone that is between approximately 80 meters and approximately 300 meters away from the autonomous vehicle. A substantially single fan-shaped light beam is scanned for a full 360 degrees in azimuth. Using frequency-modulated-continuous-wave (FMCW) or phase coded modulation on the beam, with back end digital signal processing (DSP), moving objects may effectively be distinguished from a substantially stationary background.

Abstract: According to one aspect, methods to validate an autonomy system in conjunction with a teleoperations system are provided. A computing device obtains simulation data of an autonomous driving system of a vehicle. The simulation data includes first environment data representing an environment in which the vehicle is driven using the autonomous driving system. The computing device obtains teleoperations driving data of a teleoperations driving system by which the vehicle is remotely controlled with an aid of a human. The teleoperations driving data includes second environment data representing the environment in which the vehicle is driven using the teleoperations driving system. The computing device determines whether the autonomous driving system in conjunction with the teleoperations driving system meets a minimum deployment standard based on the simulation data and the teleoperations driving data.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a method is provided to determine whether an autonomous system is ready to be deployed or is otherwise ready for use, scene-based metrics, or metrics based on instances of scenarios. Scene-based metrics are mapped, or otherwise translated, to distance-based metrics such that substantially standard distance-based metrics may be used to gate the readiness of an autonomy system for deployment.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a method includes obtaining a request to remotely operate a robotic assistant, the robotic assistant including at least one sensor configured to collect data associated with an environment around the robotic assistant. The method also includes identifying a first teleoperations system to remotely operate the robotic assistant in response to the request, the first teleoperations system being one of a plurality of teleoperations systems, and assigning the first teleoperations system to remotely operate the robotic assistant. At least one privacy-related instruction is implemented with respect to the first teleoperations system.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a method includes obtaining an input and identifying at least a first vehicle which is to be commanded to perform at least one diagnostics test. The method also includes providing a remote diagnostics command to the first vehicle, the remote diagnostics command configured to command the first vehicle to perform at least a first diagnostics test, wherein the first diagnostics test is performed by the first vehicle on at least a first system included on the first vehicle. The first vehicle is monitored during the first diagnostics test. Diagnostics data associated with the first diagnostics test is obtained from the first vehicle and processed to generate diagnostics for the first vehicle.

Abstract: Described are LiDAR systems comprising a transmission optical system and a collection optical system utilizing a common lens or pieces derived from the same lens to reduce or eliminate image mismatch between the transmission optical system and the collection optical system.

Abstract: An autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles for providing an assortment of items to a customer or a potential customer after such customer or potential customer summons the one or more autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles in an unstructured open or closed environment. Each autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle comprises one or more compartments configured to contain and secure the assortment of the items to be selected once the summoned autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle arrives to a customer or potential customer.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a vehicle includes a chassis, a propulsion system carried on the chassis and configured to propel the vehicle; a control system supported by the chassis, at least one compartment supported by the chassis, and at least one configurable divider arrangement contained within the at least one compartment. The control system is configured to enable the vehicle to operate autonomously. The at least one configurable divider arrangement is arranged to define at least a first location, wherein the at least one configurable divider arrangement includes a sensor system and a notification system, the sensor system being arranged to detect a presence of an item at the first location, the notification system being arranged to provide an indication relating to the first location.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a vehicle includes hardware systems configured to support the autonomous or semi-autonomous operation of the vehicle. Hardware systems may include a main compute, a brain stem computer (BSC), and an aggregator/compute arrangement or redundant autonomy compute. Such hardware systems may cooperate to allow the vehicle to operate autonomously, and typically provide capabilities, e.g., redundant and/or backup capabilities, configured to enable the vehicle to continue to operate in the event that a primary system is not functioning as expected. The aggregator/compute arrangement may further be comprised of two substantially identical modules or computing assemblies, each configured to process sensor data and perform backup autonomy functionalities and/or teleoperations functionalities.