Abstract: Systems and methods to increase environment awareness in remote driving applications may include a vehicle having an imaging device and a teleoperator station in communication with each other via a network. For example, audio data may be received from the vehicle and processed to identify known sounds associated with unseen objects in the environment. In addition, imaging data may be received from the vehicle and processed to identify known but unheard objects in the environment. Based on the identified sounds and/or objects, visualizations of the objects may be generated and presented to a teleoperator, and sounds associated with the objects may be amplified, synthesized, and/or emitted to the teleoperator to increase environment awareness.

Abstract: Systems and methods to ensure safe driving behaviors in remote driving applications may include a vehicle having an imaging device and a teleoperator station in communication with each other via a network. For example, a safety tunnel having various safety tunnel parameters may be generated based on location data, map data, vehicle data, and/or sensor data. Remote operation of the vehicle may be monitored with respect to the safety tunnel parameters, and various visual, audio, and/or haptic alerts or feedback may be presented or emitted for the teleoperator to encourage or enforce vehicle operation within the safety tunnel parameters. Further, various autonomous remote operation programs or control routines may be initiated or instructed to ensure safe driving behaviors of the vehicle based on the safety tunnel parameters.

Abstract: Systems and methods that facilitate identifying and controlling the systems and subsystems in a vehicle to enable autonomous operation of the vehicle are disclosed. An autonomous vehicle interface (AVI) (the “AVI control system”) can interface with and control the system of the vehicle, thereby enabling control of the vehicle as a whole. Electronic control units may be associated with each of the systems and subsystems in the vehicle, and the AVI may interface with and control these electronic control units over a shared data bus. In order to control particular electronic control units, the systems and methods provide for sampling data packets transmitted by the electronic control units on the shared data bus, measuring the impedance of the shared data bus when data packets are being transmitted, and identifying particular electronic control units based on the measured impedance.

Abstract: A vehicle adapted to be remotely driven via a wireless communication network comprises a capturing unit for capturing live video data of the vehicle's environment, a video encoding unit for video encoding the captured live video data, a transmission unit for transmitting the encoded live video data via the wireless communication network, and a control unit for controlling the video encoding unit and/or the transmission unit. The control unit controls the video encoding unit to optimize the video encoding of the captured live video data and/or to control the transmission unit to optimize the transmission of the encoded live video data. The controlling is based on one, two or all of: (i) pre-determined location information associated with a current location of the vehicle; (ii) real-time driving information associated with current driving parameters of the vehicle, and; (iii) real-time environment information associated with a current environment of the vehicle.

Abstract: In embodiments of an autonomous vehicle platform and safety architecture, safety managers of a safety-critical system monitor outputs of linked components of the safety-critical system. The linked components comprise at least three components, each of which is configured to produce output indicative of a same event independent from the other linked components by using different input information than the other linked components. The safety managers also compare the outputs of the linked components to determine whether each output indicates the occurrence of a same event. When the output of one linked component does not indicate the occurrence of an event that is indicated by the outputs of the other linked components, the safety managers identify the one linked component as having failed. Based on this, the outputs of the other linked components are used to carry out operations of the safety-critical system without using the output of the failed component.

Abstract: Systems and methods that facilitate identifying and controlling the systems and subsystems in a vehicle to enable autonomous operation of the vehicle are disclosed. An autonomous vehicle interface (AVI) (the “AVI control system”) can interface with and control the system of the vehicle, thereby enabling control of the vehicle as a whole. Electronic control units may be associated with each of the systems and subsystems in the vehicle, and the AVI may interface with and control these electronic control units over a shared data bus. In order to control particular electronic control units, the systems and methods provide for sampling data packets transmitted by the electronic control units on the shared data bus, measuring the impedance of the shared data bus when data packets are being transmitted, and identifying particular electronic control units based on the measured impedance.

Abstract: In embodiments of an autonomous vehicle platform and safety architecture, safety managers of a safety-critical system monitor outputs of linked components of the safety-critical system. The linked components comprise at least three components, each of which is configured to produce output indicative of a same event independent from the other linked components by using different input information than the other linked components. The safety managers also compare the outputs of the linked components to determine whether each output indicates the occurrence of a same event. When the output of one linked component does not indicate the occurrence of an event that is indicated by the outputs of the other linked components, the safety managers identify the one linked component as having failed. Based on this, the outputs of the other linked components are used to carry out operations of the safety-critical system without using the output of the failed component.

Abstract: Technologies are provided for detecting anomalous data at runtime in an autonomous vehicle component that is indicative of a byzantine fault, and providing real-time remediation. Input and output data streams of the vehicle component can be analyzed to generate a normal operational model for the vehicle component. Using the model, deviations from a known steady state of operation of the vehicle component can be detected and flagged as potential faults. The vehicle component can then be isolated and/or restarted. Additionally or alternatively, a specification can be defined that specifies allowed component interactions in the autonomous vehicle system. The specification can be used to generate tests that can be used to validate the functional correctness of the vehicle components. The specification can be used at run-time to detect component interactions that are not allowed. Such a disallowed component interaction can be detected using the specification and flagged as a potential fault.