Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to generating a puddle occupancy grid including a plurality of cells. For instance, a first probability value for a puddle being located at a first location generated using sensor data from a first sensor may be received. A second probability value for a puddle being located at a second location generating using sensor data from a second sensor different from the first sensor may be received. A first cell may be identified from the plurality of cells using the first location. The first cell may also be identified using the second location. A value for the cell may be generated using the first probability value and the second probability value.

Abstract: The technology relates to determining whether a camera is occluded. For instance, an image may be captured using a camera having red, green, and blue pixels each including a photosensor. Output values for the photosensors of each of the red pixels, green pixels, and blue pixels may be determined for the images. The output values of the green pixels may be compared to one or more of the output values of the red pixels or the output values of the blue pixels. That the camera is occluded is determined based on the comparison.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to limitation of noise on light detectors using an aperture. One example implementation includes a system. The system includes a lens disposed relative to a scene. The lens focuses light from the scene. The system also includes an opaque material that defines an aperture. The system also includes a waveguide having a first side that receives light focused by the lens and transmitted through the aperture. The waveguide guides the received light toward a second side of the waveguide opposite to the first side. The waveguide has a third side extending between the first side and the second side. The system also includes a mirror that reflects the guided light toward the third side of the waveguide. The system also includes an array of light detectors that detects the reflected light propagating out of the third side.

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: Aspects of the disclosure provide for the generation of a driving difficulty heat map for autonomous vehicles. For instance, log data generated by a vehicle being driven in a manual driving mode for a segment of a route may be input into a disengage model in order to generate an output identifying a likelihood of a vehicle driving in an autonomous driving mode requiring a disengage from the autonomous driving mode along the segment of the route. The log data may have been collected within a geographic area. A grid for the geographic area may be generated. The grid may include a plurality of cells. The output is assigned to one of the plurality of cells. The plurality of cells and assigned output may be used to generate a driving difficulty heat map for the geographic area.

Abstract: A vehicle having a communication system is disclosed. The system includes two electrical couplings, coupled by way of a rotary joint having a bearing waveguide. Each electrical coupling includes an interface waveguide configured to couple to external signals. Each electrical coupling also includes a waveguide section configured to propagate electromagnetic signals between the interface waveguide and the bearing waveguide of the rotary joint. Additionally, the rotary joint is configured to allow one electrical coupling to rotate with respect to the other electrical coupling. An axis of rotation of the rotary joint is defined by a center of a portion of the waveguides. Yet further, the rotary joint allows electromagnetic energy to propagate between the waveguides of the electrical couplings.

Abstract: A control system for an autonomous vehicle is configured to pick up a passenger at a pickup location. The autonomous vehicle includes a self-driving system and one or more computing devices in communication with the self-driving system. The one or more computing devices are configured to receive a trip request including a pickup location and a destination location, the trip request being associated with a client device; cause the self-driving system to navigate the autonomous vehicle to the pickup location; send a prompt to the client device to collect semantic information; determine a specified location based on the semantic information received in response to the prompt; identify one or more semantic markers for the specified location from the semantic information; and send a message to the client device identifying the specified location using the one or more semantic markers.

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to techniques for providing remote assistance to an autonomous vehicle. A computing device may receive location from a vehicle while the vehicle is autonomously navigating a path in an environment. Based on the location information, the computing device may display a representation of the environment of the vehicle that conveys lane information for the path and subsequently receive an input selecting a lane in the path. The input modified an availability of the lane in the path during subsequent navigation by the vehicle. The computing device may then provide navigation instructions to the vehicle based on availability of the lane in the path.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that include a monolithic, single-chip receiver. An example system includes a plurality of macropixels, each made up of an array of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). The system also includes a plurality of pipelined adders communicatively coupled to a respective portion of the plurality of macropixels. The system additionally includes a controller configured to carry out operations. The operations include during a listening period, receiving, at each pipelined adder of the plurality of pipelined adders, respective photosignals from the respective portion of the plurality of macropixels. The operations also include causing each pipelined adder of the plurality of pipelined adders to provide an output that includes a series of frames that provide an average number of SPADs of the respective portion of the plurality of macropixels that were triggered during a given listening period.

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to range calibration of light detectors. An example method includes emitting a first light signal toward a first region of a calibration target having a first reflectivity and detecting a reflection of the first light signal. The detected reflection of the first light signal has a first intensity. The example method further includes emitting a second light signal toward a second region of the calibration target having a second reflectivity and detecting a reflection of the second light signal from the second region of the calibration target. The detected reflection of the second light signal has a second intensity. Still further, the example method includes determining a first apparent range based on the detected reflection of the first light signal, determining a second apparent range based on the detected reflection of the second light signal, and generating walk-error calibration data for the detector.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to optical systems and methods of their operation. An example optical system includes an optical component and one or more light sources configured to emit a light signal. The light signal interacts with the optical component so as to provide an interaction light signal. The optical system also includes a detector configured to detect at least a portion of the interaction light signal as a detected light signal. The optical system additionally includes a controller configured to carry out operations including causing the one or more light sources to emit the light signal and receiving the detected light signal from the detector. The operations also include determining, based on the detected light signal, that one or more defects are associated with the optical component.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a lens assembly that includes at least one lens that defines an optical axis. The apparatus also includes a substrate, an image sensor disposed on the substrate, and an actuator coupled to the substrate and configured to adjust a position of the substrate relative to the lens assembly to move the image sensor along the optical axis. The apparatus additionally includes a capacitive position sensor that includes a first capacitive plate coupled to the substrate and a second capacitive plate coupled to the lens assembly. The capacitive position sensor may be configured to generate a capacitance measurement indicative of the position of the substrate relative to the lens assembly. The apparatus further includes circuitry configured to control the actuator based on (i) the capacitance measurement and (ii) a target position of the image sensor relative to the lens assembly.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to generating a puddle occupancy grid including a plurality of cells. For instance, a first probability value for a puddle being located at a first location generated using sensor data from a first sensor may be received. A second probability value for a puddle being located at a second location generating using sensor data from a second sensor different from the first sensor may be received. A first cell may be identified from the plurality of cells using the first location. The first cell may also be identified using the second location. A value for the cell may be generated using the first probability value and the second probability value.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and systems that facilitate determination of a pose of a vehicle based on various combinations of map data and sensor data received from light detection and ranging (LIDAR) devices and/or camera devices. An example method includes receiving point cloud data from a (LIDAR) device and transforming the point cloud data to provide a top-down image. The method also includes comparing the top-down image to a reference image and determining, based on the comparison, a yaw error. An alternative method includes receiving camera image data from a camera and transforming the camera image data to provide a top-down image. The method also includes comparing the top-down image to a reference image and determining, based on the comparison, a yaw error.

Abstract: An example circuit includes a plurality of light emitters connected in parallel between a first node and a second node. The circuit also includes a plurality of capacitors, with each capacitor corresponding to one of the light emitters, and a plurality of discharge-control switches, with each discharge-control switches corresponding to one of the capacitors. The circuit further includes a pulse-control switch connected to the plurality of light emitters. During a first period, the pulse-control switch restricts current flow, and each of the plurality of capacitors is charged via the first node. During a second period, one or more of the plurality of discharge-control switches allows current flow that discharges one or more corresponding capacitors. During a third period, the pulse-control switch allows current flow that discharges one or more undischarged capacitors of the plurality of capacitors through one or more corresponding light emitters.

Abstract: A camera includes a camera focus adjustment device, a lens, and an image sensor coupled to the camera focus adjustment device. The camera focus adjustment device includes a flexure structure. The flexure structure includes an outer framework of structural members continuously interconnected by flexure notch hinges. The flexure structure also includes two inner structural members oriented in parallel and extending from the outer framework of structural members. A gap is between the two inner structural members. The camera focus adjustment device also includes a piezoelectric material within the gap and a pair of wedges within the gap. The pair of wedges is affixed to the piezoelectric material and to one inner structural member of the two inner structural members. Based on temperature-based piezoelectric activity associated with the piezoelectric material, the camera focus adjustment device is operable to move the image sensor relative to the lens.

Abstract: The technology relates to fine maneuver control of large autonomous vehicles that employ multiple sets of independently actuated wheels. The control is able to optimize the turning radius, effectively negotiate curves, turns, and clear static objects of varying heights. Each wheel or wheel set is configured to adjust individually via control of an on-board computer system. Received sensor data and a physical model of the vehicle can be used for route planning and selecting maneuver operations in accordance with the additional degrees of freedom provided by the independently actuated wheels. This can include making turns, moving into or out of parking spaces, driving along narrow or congested roads, construction zones, loading docks, etc. A given maneuver may include maintaining a minimum threshold distance from a neighboring vehicle or other object.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for using surfels for vehicle localization. One of the methods includes obtaining surfel data comprising a plurality of surfels, wherein each surfel corresponds to a respective different location in an environment, and each surfel has associated data that comprises a stability measure, wherein the stability measure characterizes a permanence of a surface represented by the surfel; obtaining sensor data for a plurality of locations in the environment, the sensor data having been captured by one or more sensors of a first vehicle; determining a plurality of high-stability surfels from the plurality of surfels in the surfel data; and determining a location in the environment of the first vehicle using the plurality of selected high-stability surfels and the sensor data.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to assigning a fleet of driverless vehicles to a plurality of parking locations for parking vehicles of the fleet. For instance, locations of the vehicles of the fleet as well as a number of available spaces at each of the plurality of parking location locations may be tracked. A subset of the fleet not already located at one of the plurality of parking locations is identified. At least one assignment assigning each vehicle of the subset to a respective parking location of the plurality of parking locations is determined according to the numbers of available spaces and the identified locations of the subset. For the at least one assignment, a total cost is determined by determining a cost value for each of a plurality of factors. The given assignment is sent to the fleet based on the total cost and the cost value.

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. In one aspect, a method comprises processing an input that characterizes a trajectory of the vehicle in an environment using an importance scoring model to generate an output that defines a respective importance score for each of a plurality of agents in the environment in the vicinity of the vehicle. The importance score for an agent characterizes an estimated impact of the agent on planning decisions generated by a planning system of the vehicle which plans a future trajectory of the vehicle. The high-priority agents are identified as a proper subset of the plurality of agents with the highest importance scores.