Abstract: A control command is provided to a vehicle control module that identifies one or more vehicle actions to be performed by the vehicle control module to control a position of an autonomous vehicle (AV) with respect to an external environment. Whether one or more conditions pertaining to the position of the AV with respect to the external environment are satisfied is determined. Responsive to determining that the one or more conditions pertaining to the position of the AV with respect to the external environment are satisfied, a first instruction is provide to the vehicle control module that permits the vehicle control module to deviate from the one or more vehicle actions identified in the control command and to perform an energy saving action with respect to the AV.

Abstract: The technology relates to route planning and performing driving operations in autonomous vehicles, such as cargo trucks, articulating buses, as well as other vehicles. A detailed kinematic model of the vehicle in evaluated in conjunction with roadgraph and other information to determine whether a route or driving operation is feasible for the vehicle. This can include evaluating a hierarchical set of driving rules and whether current driving conditions impact any of the rules. Driving trajectories and cost can be evaluated when pre-planning a route for the vehicle to follow. This can include determining an ideal trajectory for the vehicle to take a particular driving action. Pre-planned routes may be shared with a fleet of vehicles, and can be modified based on information obtained by different vehicles of the fleet.

Abstract: The technology relates to route planning and performing driving operations in autonomous vehicles, such as cargo trucks, articulating buses, as well as other vehicles. A detailed kinematic model of the vehicle in evaluated in conjunction with roadgraph and other information to determine whether a route or driving operation is feasible for the vehicle. This can include evaluating a hierarchical set of driving rules and whether current driving conditions impact any of the rules. Driving trajectories and cost can be evaluated when pre-planning a route for the vehicle to follow. This can include determining an ideal trajectory for the vehicle to take a particular driving action. Pre-planned routes may be shared with a fleet of vehicles, and can be modified based on information obtained by different vehicles of the fleet.

Abstract: Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure address shortcomings of the existing technology by enabling routing of an autonomous vehicles (AV) by identifying routes from a first location to a second location, identifying a target efficiency value of autonomous driving along a respective route, determining, in view of historical data for the respective route and using one or more randomized conditions, a confidence level associated with the target efficiency value, selecting, based on the target efficiency values and the associated confidence level, a preferred route, and causing the AV to select the first route for travel from the first location to the second location.

Abstract: A wide-area motion imaging system provides 360° persistent surveillance with a camera array that is small, light-weight, and operates at low power. The camera array is mounted on a tethered drone, which can hover at heights of up to 400?, and includes small imagers fitted with lenses of different fixed focal lengths. The tether provides power, communication, and a data link from the camera array to a ground processing server that receives, processes and stores the imagery. The server also collects absolute and relative position data from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) carried by the drone. The server uses this position data to correct the rolling shutter effect and to stabilize and georectify the final images, which can be stitched together and shown to a user live or in playback via a separate user interface.

Abstract: Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure address shortcomings of the existing technology by enabling routing of an autonomous vehicles (AV) by identifying routes from a first location to a second location, identifying a target efficiency value of autonomous driving along a respective route, determining, in view of historical data for the respective route and using one or more randomized conditions, a confidence level associated with the target efficiency value, selecting, based on the target efficiency values and the associated confidence level, a preferred route, and causing the AV to select the first route for travel from the first location to the second location.

Abstract: A control command is provided to a vehicle control module that identifies one or more vehicle actions to be performed by the vehicle control module to control a position of an autonomous vehicle (AV) with respect to an external environment. Whether one or more conditions pertaining to the position of the AV with respect to the external environment are satisfied is determined. Responsive to determining that the one or more conditions pertaining to the position of the AV with respect to the external environment are satisfied, a first instruction is provide to the vehicle control module that permits the vehicle control module to deviate from the one or more vehicle actions identified in the control command and to perform an energy saving action with respect to the AV.

Abstract: The technology relates to determining whether a vehicle operating in an autonomous driving mode is experiencing an anomalous condition, for instance due to a loss of tire pressure, a mechanical failure, or a shift or loss of cargo. The actual current pose of the vehicle is compared to an expected pose of the vehicle, where the expected pose is based on a model of the vehicle. If a pose discrepancy is identified, the anomalous condition is determined from information associated with the pose discrepancy. The vehicle is then able to take corrective action based on the nature of the anomalous condition. The corrective action may include making a real-time driving change, modifying a planned route, alerting a remote operations center, or communicating with one or more other vehicles.

Abstract: Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure address shortcomings of the existing technology by enabling routing of an autonomous vehicles (AV) by identifying routes from a first location to a second location, identifying a target efficiency value of autonomous driving along a respective route, determining, in view of historical data for the respective route and using one or more randomized conditions, a confidence level associated with the target efficiency value, selecting, based on the target efficiency values and the associated confidence level, a preferred route, and causing the AV to select the first route for travel from the first location to the second location.

Abstract: The technology relates to determining whether a vehicle operating in an autonomous driving mode is experiencing an anomalous condition, for instance due to a loss of tire pressure, a mechanical failure, or a shift or loss of cargo. The actual current pose of the vehicle is compared to an expected pose of the vehicle, where the expected pose is based on a model of the vehicle. If a pose discrepancy is identified, the anomalous condition is determined from information associated with the pose discrepancy. The vehicle is then able to take corrective action based on the nature of the anomalous condition. The corrective action may include making a real-time driving change, modifying a planned route, alerting a remote operations center, or communicating with one or more other vehicles.

Abstract: The technology relates to route planning and performing driving operations in autonomous vehicles, such as cargo trucks, articulating buses, as well as other vehicles. A detailed kinematic model of the vehicle in evaluated in conjunction with roadgraph and other information to determine whether a route or driving operation is feasible for the vehicle. This can include evaluating a hierarchical set of driving rules and whether current driving conditions impact any of the rules. Driving trajectories and cost can be evaluated when pre-planning a route for the vehicle to follow. This can include determining an ideal trajectory for the vehicle to take a particular driving action. Pre-planned routes may be shared with a fleet of vehicles, and can be modified based on information obtained by different vehicles of the fleet.

Abstract: A wide-area motion imaging system provides 360° persistent surveillance with a camera array that is small, light-weight, and operates at low power. The camera array is mounted on a tethered drone, which can hover at heights of up to 400?, and includes small imagers fitted with lenses of different fixed focal lengths. The tether provides power, communication, and a data link from the camera array to a ground processing server that receives, processes and stores the imagery. The server also collects absolute and relative position data from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) carried by the drone. The server uses this position data to correct the rolling shutter effect and to stabilize and georectify the final images, which can be stitched together and shown to a user live or in playback via a separate user interface.

Abstract: The technology relates to determining whether a vehicle operating in an autonomous driving mode is experiencing an anomalous condition, for instance due to a loss of tire pressure, a mechanical failure, or a shift or loss of cargo. The actual current pose of the vehicle is compared to an expected pose of the vehicle, where the expected pose is based on a model of the vehicle. If a pose discrepancy is identified, the anomalous condition is determined from information associated with the pose discrepancy. The vehicle is then able to take corrective action based on the nature of the anomalous condition. The corrective action may include making a real-time driving change, modifying a planned route, alerting a remote operations center, or communicating with one or more other vehicles.

Abstract: A semiconductor device can include a channel region with a first semiconductor material for a majority carrier in the channel region during operation (on state) of the device and a metal contact. A source/drain region can include a semiconductor material alloy including a second semiconductor material and at least one heterojunction located between the metal contact and the channel region, wherein the heterojunction forms a band-edge offset for the majority carrier that is less than or equal to about 0.2 eV.

Abstract: A stack for a semiconductor device and a method for making the stack are disclosed. The stack includes a plurality of sacrificial layers in which each sacrificial layer has a first lattice parameter; and at least one channel layer that has a second lattice parameter in which the first lattice parameter is less than or equal to the second lattice parameter, and each channel layer is disposed between and in contact with two sacrificial layers and includes a compressive strain or a neutral strain based on a difference between the first lattice parameter and the second lattice parameter.

Abstract: Methods of forming a layer of silicon germanium include forming an epitaxial layer of Si1-xGex on a silicon substrate, wherein the epitaxial layer of Si1-xGex has a thickness that is less than a critical thickness, hc, at which threading dislocations form in Si1-xGex on silicon; etching the epitaxial layer of Si1-xGex to form Si1-xGex pillars that define a trench in the epitaxial layer of Si1-xGex, wherein the trench has a height and a width, wherein the trench has an aspect ratio of height to width of at least 1.5; and epitaxially growing a suspended layer of Si1-xGex from upper portions of the Si1-xGex pillars, wherein the suspended layer defines an air gap in the trench beneath the suspended layer of Si1-xGex.

Abstract: A stack for a semiconductor device and a method for making the stack are disclosed. The stack includes a plurality of sacrificial layers in which each sacrificial layer has a first lattice parameter; and at least one channel layer that has a second lattice parameter in which the first lattice parameter is less than or equal to the second lattice parameter, and each channel layer is disposed between and in contact with two sacrificial layers and includes a compressive strain or a neutral strain based on a difference between the first lattice parameter and the second lattice parameter.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first diode connected transistor of a first conductivity type and a second diode connected transistor of a second conductivity type connected in series, each of the first and second diode connected transistors being configured to exhibit negative differential resistance in response to an applied voltage. The first drain and first source regions of the first diode connected transistor include dopants of the first conductivity type at degenerate dopant concentration levels and a gate of the first diode connected transistor has a work function that corresponds to that of the semiconductor containing dopants of the second conductivity type. The second drain and second source regions of the second diode connected transistor include dopants of the second conductivity type at degenerate dopant concentration levels and a gate of the second diode connected transistor has a work function that corresponds to that of the semiconductor containing dopants of the first conductivity type.

Abstract: Methods of forming a layer of silicon germanium include forming an epitaxial layer of Si1-xGex on a silicon substrate, wherein the epitaxial layer of Si1-xGex has a thickness that is less than a critical thickness, hc, at which threading dislocations form in Si1-xGex on silicon; etching the epitaxial layer of Si1-xGex to form Si1-xGex pillars that define a trench in the epitaxial layer of Si1-xGex, wherein the trench has a height and a width, wherein the trench has an aspect ratio of height to width of at least 1.5; and epitaxially growing a suspended layer of Si1-xGex from upper portions of the Si1-xGex pillars, wherein the suspended layer defines an air gap in the trench beneath the suspended layer of Si1-xGex.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first diode connected transistor of a first conductivity type and a second diode connected transistor of a second conductivity type connected in series, each of the first and second diode connected transistors being configured to exhibit negative differential resistance in response to an applied voltage. The first drain and first source regions of the first diode connected transistor include dopants of the first conductivity type at degenerate dopant concentration levels and a gate of the first diode connected transistor has a work function that corresponds to that of the semiconductor containing dopants of the second conductivity type. The second drain and second source regions of the second diode connected transistor include dopants of the second conductivity type at degenerate dopant concentration levels and a gate of the second diode connected transistor has a work function that corresponds to that of the semiconductor containing dopants of the first conductivity type.