Abstract: Among other things, techniques are described for calibrating a sensor of a vehicle. One technique involves identifying a trigger for calibrating at least one sensor of a vehicle. In response to identifying the trigger, the technique then involves initiating a calibration path planning mode for the vehicle. In the calibration path planning mode, the technique involves: generating a plurality of calibration-aware paths that each include at least one calibration trajectory along at least one road; and selecting, from the plurality of paths, a first calibration-aware path for the vehicle, where the at least one sensor is calibrated while the vehicle travels along the selected path.

Abstract: A method for semantic annotation of sensor data may include obtaining sensor data representing an image of a geographic area. The boundary points defining a first polygon in the image of the geographic area may be determined based on the sensor data. An overlap between the first polygon and a second polygon in the image of the geographic area may be detected based at least on the boundary points defining the first polygon. At least one of the first polygon or the second polygon may be modified to remove the overlap between the first polygon and the second polygon. An annotation corresponding to the first polygon may be generated based on the modifying of at least one of the first polygon or the second polygon. The annotation may identify a physical feature within the geographic area. Related systems and computer program products are also provided.

Abstract: A method for semantic annotation of sensor data may include obtaining sensor data representing an image of a geographic area. The boundary points defining a first polygon in the image of the geographic area may be determined based on the sensor data. An overlap between the first polygon and a second polygon in the image of the geographic area may be detected based at least on the boundary points defining the first polygon. At least one of the first polygon or the second polygon may be modified to remove the overlap between the first polygon and the second polygon. An annotation corresponding to the first polygon may be generated based on the modifying of at least one of the first polygon or the second polygon. The annotation may identify a physical feature within the geographic area. Related systems and computer program products are also provided.

Abstract: Provided are methods for aligning a raster map of a geographic area with a geodata map of the geographic area. A method includes obtaining, using at least one processor, the raster map of the geographic area. A distance map corresponding to the raster map of the geographic area may be generated. The raster map may be aligned with a geodata map of the geographic area by deforming the geodata map relative to the distance map in order to maximize a coverage of the geodata map over the raster map. An updated geodata map of the geographic area may be generated based on the aligning. Related systems and computer program products are also provided.

Abstract: Provided are methods for automatically detecting traffic signals using sensor data. The methods can include obtaining first sensor data and second sensor data regarding an environment of an autonomous vehicle, where the first sensor data represents at least one image of the environment generated by at least one image sensor of the autonomous vehicle, where the second sensor data represents a three-dimensional point cloud associated with the environment, and where the second sensor data is generated by at least one range sensor of the autonomous vehicle. The method can also include determining a portion of the at least one image corresponding to a traffic signal in the environment, determining a point cluster of the point cloud corresponding to the portion of the at least one image, and determining a location of the traffic signal based on the point cluster. Systems and computer program products are also provided.

Abstract: Provided are methods for semantic annotation of sensor data using unreliable map annotation inputs, which can include training a machine learning model to accept inputs including images representing sensor data for a geographic area and unreliable semantic annotations for the geographic area. The machine learning model can be trained against validated semantic annotations for the geographic area, such that subsequent to training, additional images representing sensor data and additional unreliable semantic annotations can be passed through the neural network to provide predicted semantic annotations for the additional images. Systems and computer program products are also provided.

Abstract: Among other things, techniques are described for calibrating a sensor of a vehicle. One technique involves identifying a trigger for calibrating at least one sensor of a vehicle. In response to identifying the trigger, the technique then involves initiating a calibration path planning mode for the vehicle. In the calibration path planning mode, the technique involves: generating a plurality of calibration-aware paths that each include at least one calibration trajectory along at least one road; and selecting, from the plurality of paths, a first calibration-aware path for the vehicle, where the at least one sensor is calibrated while the vehicle travels along the selected path.