Abstract: The technology relates to assisting large self-driving vehicles, such as cargo vehicles, as they maneuver towards and/or park at a destination facility. This may include a given vehicle transitioning between different autonomous driving modes. Such a vehicles may be permitted to drive in a fully autonomous mode on certain roadways for the majority of a trip, but may need to change to a partially autonomous mode on other roadways or when entering or leaving a destination facility such as a warehouse, depot or service center. Large vehicles such as cargo truck may have limited room to maneuver in and park at the destination, which may also prevent operation in a fully autonomous mode. Here, information from the destination facility and/or a remote assistance service can be employed to aid in real-time semi-autonomous maneuvering.

Abstract: The technology relates to detecting and responding to emergency vehicles. This may include using a plurality of microphones to detect a siren noise corresponding to an emergency vehicle and to estimate a bearing of the emergency vehicle. This estimated bearing is compared to map information to identify a portion of roadway on which the emergency vehicle is traveling. In addition, information identifying a set of objects in the vehicle's environment as well as characteristics of those objects is received from a perception system is used to determine whether one of the set of objects corresponds to the emergency vehicle. How to respond to the emergency vehicle is determined based on the estimated bearing and identified road segments and the determination of whether one of the set of objects corresponds to the emergency vehicle. This determined response is then used to control the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode.

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to Open Ended Substrate Integrated Waveguide (OESIW) antenna arrays and techniques for manufacturing and using OESIW antenna arrays. An example antenna array includes a waveguide and a waveguide feed coupled to the waveguide. The waveguide feed is configured to couple electromagnetic energy between an external source and the waveguide. The antenna array also includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having a plurality of antenna elements. The PCB is coupled to the waveguide at a plurality of coupling points such that the electromagnetic energy propagates out from the waveguide and through the plurality of antenna elements. An OESIW antenna array can be used within a radar unit, communication system, or other type of signal emitter.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to assessing and responding to wheel slippage and estimating road friction for a road surface. For instance, a vehicle may be controlled in an autonomous driving mode in order to follow a trajectory. A wheel of the vehicle may be determined to be slipping such that the vehicle has limited steering control. In response to determining that the wheel is slipping, steering of one or more wheels may be controlled in order to orient the one or more wheels towards the trajectory in order to allow the vehicle to proceed towards the trajectory when the wheel is no longer slipping. In addition, the road friction may be estimated based on the determination that the wheel is slipping. The vehicle may be controlled in the autonomous driving mode based on the estimated road friction.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, systems and methods of optical sensing for pixel multiplexing and polarized beam steering. Described, among other things, is a system that includes a light source configured to generate a light and one or more optical devices, integrated on a photonic integrated circuit, configured to impart modulation to the generated light and deliver the modulated light to an interface coupling device. The interface coupling device can include a plurality of interface couplers (ICs), each IC configured to scatter the modulated light in a direction that makes at least 5 degrees with an optical axis of lens configured to transmit the light scattered by each IC along a respective direction of a plurality of directions.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for advanced trip planning for an autonomous vehicle service. For instance, an example method may include determining a potential pickup location for a user, determining a set of potential destination locations for a user, and determining a set of potential trips. For each potential trip a vehicle of a fleet of autonomous vehicles of the service may be assigned and trip information, including an estimated time of arrival for the assigned vehicle of the potential trip to reach the destination location of the potential trip, may be determined. The trip information for each potential trip may be provided for display to the user. Thereafter, confirmation information identifying one of the set of potential trips may be received, and the assigned vehicle for one first of the set of potential trips may be dispatched to pick up the user.

Abstract: The technology relates controlling an autonomous vehicle through a multi-lane turn. In one example, data corresponding to a position of the autonomous vehicle in a lane of the multi-lane turn, a trajectory of the autonomous vehicle, and data corresponding to positions of objects in a vicinity of the autonomous vehicle may be received. A determination of whether the autonomous vehicle is positioned as a first vehicle in the lane or positioned behind another vehicle in the lane may be made based on a position of the autonomous vehicle in the lane relative to the positions of the objects. The trajectory of the autonomous vehicle through the lane may be adjusted based on whether the autonomous vehicle is positioned as a first vehicle in the lane or positioned behind another vehicle in the lane. The autonomous vehicle may be controlled based on the adjusted trajectory.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to controlling a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode using trajectories. For instance, a trajectory may be received by one or more first computing devices from one or more second computing devices. While the first computing devices are controlling the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode based on the trajectory, an error may be generated by second computing devices. Whether the error is a recoverable error may be determined, and if so, the second computing devices attempt to generate a new trajectory. When the second computing devices generate the new trajectory, the vehicle may be controlled by the first computing devices according to the new trajectory.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for generating a panoptic segmentation label for a sensor data sample. In one aspect, a system comprises one or more computers configured to obtain a sensor data sample characterizing a scene in an environment. The one or more computers obtain a 3D bounding box annotation at each time point for a point cloud characterizing the scene at the time point. The one or more computers obtain, for each camera image and each time point, annotation data identifying object instances depicted in the camera image, and the one or more computers generate a panoptic segmentation label for the sensor data sample characterizing the scene in the environment.

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to using cleaning protocols to monitor defects associated with light detection and ranging (lidar) devices. An example embodiment includes a method. The method includes applying, using a cleaning device, a cleaning protocol to one or more optical components of a light detection and ranging (lidar) device. The method also includes emitting, from a light emitter of the lidar device, one or more light signals. Additionally, the method includes detecting, by a light detector of the lidar device, reflections of the one or more light signals. Further, the method includes determining, by a controller of the lidar device based on the detected reflections of the one or more light signals, that one or more defects are present within the one or more optical components or within the cleaning device.

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to methods and systems for automatic problematic maneuver detection and adapted motion planning. A computing device may obtain a route for navigation by a vehicle and a set of vehicle parameters corresponding to the vehicle. Each vehicle parameter can represent a physical attribute of the vehicle. The computing device may generate a virtual vehicle that represents the vehicle based on the set of vehicle parameters and perform a simulation that involves the virtual vehicle navigating the route. Based on the results of the simulation, the computing device may provide the original route or a modified route to the vehicle for the vehicle to subsequently navigate to its destination. In some cases, the simulation may further factor additional conditions, such as potential weather and traffic conditions that are likely to occur during the time when the vehicle plans on navigating the route.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification relates to a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system. In at least one implementation, the LiDAR system comprises a first signal source; a second signal source; a combiner to generate a hybrid transmission signal from signals generated by the first signal source and the second signal source; a first photodetector to measure a first component of a reflection signal related to range of a target; and a second photodetector to measure a second component of the reflection signal related to velocity of the target, wherein the system is configured to derive the range and velocity of the target from the first component and the second component, respectively.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, systems and methods of optical sensing that use destructive interference to suppress retro-reflected light during generation of sensing beams. Described, among other things, is a system that outputs a modulated transmitted (TX) beam and collects a received (RX) beam having one or more beams reflected from outside object(s). The system obtains, using the RX beam, a first phase information (PI) that includes a first feature and a second feature. The system obtains, using a copy of the modulated TX beam, a second PI, and reduces, using the second PI, the first feature of the first PI. The system then determines, using the second feature of the first PI, one or more characteristics of the outside object(s).