Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for determining sensor degradation by actively controlling an autonomous vehicle. Determining sensor degradation may include obtaining sensor readings from a sensor of an autonomous vehicle, and determining baseline state information from the obtained sensor readings. A movement characteristic of the autonomous vehicle, such as speed or position, may then be changed. The sensor may then obtain additional sensor readings, and second state information may be determined from these additional sensor readings. Expected state information may be determined from the baseline state information and the change in the movement characteristic of the autonomous vehicle. A comparison of the expected state information and the second state information may then be performed. Based on this comparison, a determination may be made as to whether the sensor has degraded.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods are presented for event detection. One method may include receiving event data from an event capture device while the event capture device is in a stationary state. The event capture device may be coupled to a vehicle. The method may also include generating a command and sending the command to the event capture device. The command is configured to cause the event capture device to change from the stationary state to a non-stationary state.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a system having a memory, a plurality of self-driving systems for controlling a vehicle, and one or more processors. The processors are configured to receive at least one fallback task in association with a request for a primary task and at least one trigger of each fallback task. Each trigger is a set of conditions that, when satisfied, indicate when a vehicle requires attention for proper operation. The processors are also configured to send instructions to the self-driving systems to execute the primary task and receive status updates from the self-driving systems. The processors are configured to determine that a set of conditions of a trigger is satisfied based on the status updates and send further instructions based on the associated fallback task to the self-driving systems.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to vehicles capable of autonomous driving. These vehicles may include seats for accommodating different numbers of passengers. In some cases, the seats may be reconfigurable. For instance, a vehicle may include a first row of seating having a first, passenger use configuration. The first row may allow a passenger to sit in a seat of the first row of seating and access user input controls for the vehicle. The first row of seating may also have a second, folded configuration where the first row is in a folded configuration and no longer usable for passenger seating. The vehicle may also have a second row of seating. When the first row of seating is in the second, folded configuration, the second row of seating may still be usable for seating and may include additional legroom for the passenger as compared to when the first row of seating is in the first passenger use configuration.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein relate to the manufacture of optical elements and optical systems. An example system may include an optical component configured to direct light from a light source to illuminate a photoresist material at a desired angle and to expose at least a portion of an angled structure in the photoresist material, where the photoresist material overlays at least a portion of a top surface of a substrate. The optical component includes a container containing an light-coupling material that is selected based in part on the desired angle. The optical component also includes a mirror arranged to reflect at least a portion of the light to illuminate the photoresist material at the desired angle.

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to a method for cut-in identification and classification. An example embodiment includes a obtaining operational data about one or more vehicles; based on the operational data, identifying the presence of one or more cut-ins within the operational data; extracting, from the operational data, cut-in data that depicts one or more of the cut-ins identified within the operational data; and, based on the extracted cut-in data, training a model for controlling an autonomous vehicle. Identifying the presence of a given cut-in includes: determining that at least one vertex of a bounding box surrounding a vehicle was located more than a threshold distance within a lane being navigated by a given vehicle; and determining that the ability of the given vehicle to maintain its course and speed was impeded by the presence of the particular additional vehicle within the lane.

Abstract: A method includes applying, by a switching circuit, pulses of an input voltage to an input of an inductor. The method includes charging, in accordance with an off state of a switch, a charge storage device through the inductor using the pulses of the input voltage such that the circuit node develops a charge voltage that is greater than the input voltage. The method includes discharging, in accordance with an on state of the switch, the charge storage device such that a first portion of the charge voltage is applied to a light emitter and a second portion of the charge voltage is applied to parasitic inductance. The method includes controlling, by a controller, a timing of the pulses of the input voltage applied by the switching circuit based on a parasitic inductance from a previous charging cycle of the charge storage device, so as to control the charge voltage.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to testing software for operating an autonomous vehicle. For instance, a first simulation may be run. The simulation may be run using the software to control a simulated vehicle and at least one agent. During the running of the first simulation, whether a particular type of interaction between the simulated vehicle and the at least one agent has occurred may be determined. In response to this determination, a second simulation may be run using the log data by replacing the at least one agent with a model agent that simulates a road user capable of responding to actions performed by the simulated vehicle. The second simulation may be used to determine in order to determine whether the software is able to complete the second simulation without the particular type of interaction between a second simulated vehicle and the model agent occurring.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a system that includes a light source to produce a first beam and one or more first optical elements to impart an orbital angular momentum (OAM) to at least some of a plurality of output beams obtained from the first beam. The system further includes an output optical device to direct the output beams towards a target object and a plurality of photodetectors to generate signals representative of a difference between an input phase information, carried by one or more beams reflected from the target object, and an output phase information, carried by one of local copies of the output beams. The system further includes a processing device to determine, using the difference between the input phase information and the output phase information, one or more orthogonal components of a velocity of the target object.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided that involves determining, based on map data, an approaching merge region comprising an on-ramp merging with a road comprising one or more lanes, wherein a truck is traveling on an initial lane of the road according to a navigation plan. The method involves an indication of movement of a vehicle on the on-ramp, wherein the indication of movement is based on data collected by one or more sensors configured to capture sensor data from an environment surrounding the truck. The method involves determining, for the on-ramp and the one or more lanes, respective avoidance scores indicative of a likelihood of an interaction between the truck and the vehicle based on the approaching merge region. The method involves updating the navigation plan based on the respective avoidance scores. The method also involves controlling the truck to execute a driving strategy based on the updated navigation plan.

Abstract: The technology relates to predicting that an object is going to enter into a trajectory of a vehicle. This may include receiving sensor data identifying a first location of the object in an environment of the vehicle at a first point in time and receiving sensor data identifying a second location of the object in the environment at a second point in time. In addition, a boundary of the trajectory is determined by defining at least a two-dimensional area through which the vehicle is expected to travel in the future. A first distance between the boundary and the first location and a second distance between the trajectory and the second location are determined. The first distance and the second distance are used to determine that the object is going to enter into the trajectory at a future point in time.

Abstract: The technology relates to a seamless interface between an autonomous vehicle service provider and one or more ridesharing or ride-hailing partner companies. An API enables efficient and robust communication with such partner companies for effective rider services and support. The API enables a partner company to determine how quickly an autonomous vehicle from the service provider could pick up a rider from a given location, as well as the cost of the ride. Customers may request rides or modify scheduled trips via an app running on the user's mobile phone or other communication device. The service may allow customers to directly communicate with the ride provider company, and may also allow customers to book or modify rides via interaction with a partner company that works with the ride provider company, either with the same or a different app.

Abstract: A system obtains scene context data characterizing the environment. The scene context data includes data that characterizes a trajectory of an agent in a vicinity of a vehicle up to a current time point. The system identifies a plurality of initial target locations, and generates, for each of a plurality of target locations that each corresponds to one of the initial target locations, a respective predicted likelihood score that represents a likelihood that the target location will be an intended final location for a future trajectory of the agent. For each target location in a first subset of the target locations, the system generates a predicted future trajectory for the agent given that the target location is the intended final location for the future trajectory. The system further selects, as likely future trajectories of the agent, one or more of the predicted future trajectories.

Abstract: A vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous mode is provided. The vehicle is configured to obtain an indication of a final destination, and, if the final destination is not on a pre-approved road for travel by the vehicle, the vehicle is configured to determine a route from the vehicle's current location to an intermediary destination. The vehicle is further configured to determine a means for the vehicle user to reach the final destination from the intermediate destination.

Abstract: The technology relates to autonomous vehicles having hitched or towed trailers for transporting cargo and other items between locations. Aspects of the technology provide a smart hitch connection between the fifth-wheel of a tractor unit and the kingpin of a trailer. This avoids requiring a person to make physical pneumatic and electrical connections between the fifth-wheel and kingpin using external hoses and cables. Instead, the necessary connections are made internally, autonomously. For instance, the fifth-wheel may provide air pressure via one or more slots arranged on a connection surface, and the trailer is configured to receive the air pressure through one or more openings on a contact surface of the kingpin. An electrical connection section of the fifth-wheel may also provide electrical signals and/or power to an electrical contact interface of the kingpin. Rotational information about relative alignment of the trailer to the tractor unit may also be provided.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle is tested using virtual objects. The autonomous vehicle is maneuvered, by one or more computing devices, the autonomous vehicle in an autonomous driving mode. Sensor data is received corresponding to objects in the autonomous vehicle's environment, and virtual object data is received corresponding to a virtual object in the autonomous vehicle's environment. The virtual object represents a real object that is not in the vehicle's environment. The autonomous vehicle is maneuvered based on both the sensor data and the virtual object data. Information about the maneuvering of the vehicle based on both the sensor data and the virtual object data may be logged and analyzed.

Abstract: The disclosure provides for a system. The system may include a rotational control system configured to rotate a seat of a vehicle, and one or more computing devices. The one or more computing devices may have one or more processors that are configured to determine that an impact is imminent at a location on the vehicle along a collision axis. A most favorable orientation may be determined by the one or more processors based on the determined location and collision axis. Using the rotational control system, the one or more processors may rotate the seat of the vehicle to the most favorable orientation in order to reduce risks of serious injury to a passenger in the seat caused by the imminent impact. A translational control system may be used by the one or more processors to translate the seat of the vehicle to a position relative to the determined location.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for airbag systems suited for autonomous vehicles. Such an airbag system may include a first chamber, a second chamber, a dual-stage inflator, an orifice blocker mechanism and a control module. The dual-stage inflator may be in fluid communication with the first chamber via a first orifice and in fluid communication with the second chamber via a second orifice. The orifice blocker mechanism may be configured to block and unblock gas flow from the second orifice to the second chamber. The control module may be configured to activate the dual-stage inflator in order to inflate one or both of the first chamber and the second chamber with gas based on a position of the orifice blocker mechanism relative to the second orifice.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying high-priority agents in the vicinity of a vehicle. The high-priority agents can be identified based on a set of mutual importance scores in which each mutual importance score indicates an estimated mutual relevance between the vehicle and a different agent from a set of agents on planning decisions of the other. The mutual importance scores can be calculated based on importance scores assessed from the perspectives of both the vehicle and the agents.

Abstract: An improved, efficient method for mapping world points from an environment (e.g., points generated by a LIDAR sensor of an autonomous vehicle) to locations (e.g., pixels) within rolling-shutter images taken of the environment is provided. This improved method allows for accurate localization of the world point in a rolling-shutter image via an iterative process that converges in very few iterations. The method poses the localization process as an iterative process for determining the time, within the rolling-shutter exposure period of the image, at which the world point was imaged by the camera. The method reduces the number of times the world point is projected into the normalized space of the camera image, often converging in three or fewer iterations.