Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method of autonomously parking an autonomous driving vehicle, includes generating environment descriptor data describing a driving environment surrounding the autonomous driving vehicle (ADV), including identifying a parking space and one or more obstacles within a predetermined proximity of the ADV, generating a parking trajectory of the ADV based on the environment descriptor data to autonomously park the ADV into the parking space, including optimizing the parking trajectory in view of the one or more obstacles, segmenting the parking trajectory into one or more trajectory segments based on a vehicle state of the ADV, and controlling the ADV according to the one or more trajectory segments of the parking trajectory to autonomously park the ADV into the parking space without collision with the one or more obstacles.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system uses an actor-critic reinforcement learning model to generate a trajectory for an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) in an open space. The system perceives an environment surrounding an ADV. The system applies a RL algorithm to an initial state of a planning trajectory based on the perceived environment to determine a plurality of controls for the ADV to advance to a plurality of trajectory states based on map and vehicle control information for the ADV. The system determines a reward prediction by the RL algorithm for each of the plurality of controls in view of a target destination state. The system generates a first trajectory from the trajectory states by maximizing the reward predictions to control the ADV autonomously according to the first trajectory.

Abstract: In one embodiment, simulation of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) includes capturing first data that includes a control command output by an autonomous vehicle controller of the ADV, and capturing second data that includes the control command being implemented at a control unit of the ADV. The control command, for example, a steering command, a braking command, or a throttle command, is implemented by the ADV to affect movement of the ADV. A latency model is determined based on comparing the first data with the second data, where the latency model defines time delay and/or amplitude difference between the first data and the second data. The latency model is applied in a virtual driving environment.

Abstract: An autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) receives instructions for a human test driver to drive the ADV in manual mode and to collect a specified amount of driving data for one or more specified driving categories. As the user drivers the ADV in manual mode, driving data corresponding to the one or more driving categories is logged. A user interface of the ADV displays the one or more driving categories that the human driver is instructed collect data upon, and a progress indicator for each of these categories as the human driving progresses. The driving data is uploaded to a server for machine learning. If the server machine learning achieves a threshold grading amount of the uploaded data to variables of a dynamic self-driving model, then the server generates an ADV self-driving model, and distributes the model to one or more ADVs that are navigated in the self-driving mode.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for reducing second order dynamics delays in a control subsystem (e.g. throttle, braking, or steering) in an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) and increasing control system bandwidth by accounting for time-latency in a control subsystem actuation system. A control input is received from an ADV's autonomous driving system. The control input is translated into a control command of the control subsystem of the ADV. A reference actuation output and a predicted actuation output are generated corresponding to a by-wire (“real”) actuation action for the control subsystem. A control error is determined between the reference actuation action and the by-wire actuation action. A predicted control error is determined between the predicted actuation action and the between the by-wire actuation action. Adaptive gains are determined and applied to the by-wire actuation action to generate a second by-wire actuation action.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an open space model is generated for a system to plan trajectories for an ADV in an open space. The system perceives an environment surrounding an ADV including one or more obstacles. The system determines a target function for the open space model based on constraints for the one or more obstacles and map information. The system iteratively, performs a first quadratic programming (QP) optimization on the target function based on a first trajectory while fixing a first set of variables, and performs a second QP optimization on the target function based on a result of the first QP optimization while fixing a second set of variables. The system generates a second trajectory based on results of the first and the second QP optimizations to control the ADV autonomously according to the second trajectory.

Abstract: Generating control effort to control an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) includes determining a direction (forward or reverse) in which the ADV is driving and selecting a driving model and a predictive model based upon the direction. In a forward direction, the driving model is a dynamic model, such as a “bicycle model,” and the predictive model is a look-ahead model. In a reverse direction, the driving model is a hybrid dynamic and kinematic model and the predictive model is a look-back model. Current and predicted lateral error and heading error are determined using the driving model and predictive model, respectively. A linear quadratic regulator (LQR) uses the current and predicted lateral error and heading errors to determine a first control effort An augmented control logic determines a second, additional, control effort, to determine a final control effort that is output to a control module to drive the ADV.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an autonomous driving system of an autonomous driving vehicle perceives a driving environment surrounding the autonomous driving vehicle traveling along a path, including perceiving an obstacle in the driving environment. The system detects a vertical acceleration of the autonomous driving vehicle based on sensor data obtained from a sensor on the autonomous driving vehicle. The system further calibrates the perceived obstacle based on the vertical acceleration of the autonomous driving vehicle. The system then controls the autonomous driving vehicle to navigate through the driving environment in view of the calibrated perceived obstacle.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for calibrating autonomous driving vehicles at a cloud-based server includes receiving, at the cloud-based server, one or more vehicle calibration requests from at least one user, each vehicle calibration request including calibration data for one or more vehicles and processing in parallel, by the cloud-based server, the one or more vehicle calibration requests for the at least one user to generate a calibration result for each vehicle. The method further includes sending, by the cloud-based server, the calibration result for each vehicle to the at least one user.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a set of predetermined driving parameters is determined from a set of driving statistics data collected from a number of vehicles, which may be driven by human drivers. For each pair of the predetermined driving parameters, a distribution of the pair of driving parameters is plotted based on their relationship on a two-dimensional (2D) distribution space. The 2D distribution space is partitioned into a number of grid cells, each grid cell representing a particular pair of driving parameters. For each of the grid cells, a probability is calculated that the pair of driving parameter likely falls in the grid cell. A grid table is generated corresponding to the pair of driving parameters. The grid table can be utilized during the autonomous driving at real-time or during simulation to determine a ride stability of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) in view of the pair of driving parameters.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system/method generates a driving trajectory for an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV). The system perceives an environment of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV). The system determines one or more bounding conditions based on the perceived environment. The system generates a first trajectory using a neural network model, wherein the neural network model is trained to generate a driving trajectory. The system evaluates/determines if the first trajectory satisfies the one or more bounding conditions. If the first trajectory satisfies the one or more bounding conditions, the system controls the ADV autonomously according to the first trajectory. Otherwise, the system controls the ADV autonomously according to a second trajectory, where the second trajectory is generated based on an objective function, where the objective function is determined based on at least the one or more bounding conditions.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a set of parameters representing a first state of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) to be simulated and a set of control commands to be issued at a first point in time. In response, a localization predictive model is applied to the set of parameters to determine a first position (e.g., x, y) of the ADV. A localization correction model is applied to the set of parameters to determine a set of localization correction factors (e.g., ?x, ?y). The correction factors may represent the errors between the predicted position of the ADV by the localization predictive model and the ground truth measured by sensors of the vehicle. Based on the first position of the ADV and the correction factors, a second position of the ADV is determined as the simulated position of the ADV.

Abstract: Disclosed is a pair of medical compression stocking, each comprising a body, an auxiliary pressure part and a present sensing part. The body is formed by means of knitting knitted yarns and inlay yarns. The auxiliary pressure part is integrated with the body, is located at an ankle of a lower limb of each medical compression stocking, and can be in contact with an ankle of a wearer. The pressure sensing part comprises a conducting part and a signal receiving part, wherein the conducting part is integrated with the body and is used for sensing pressure at a corresponding part of the medical compression stocking; and the signal receiving part can receive a signal from the conducting part, and same determines the value of the pressure from the corresponding part according to the signal.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) operates in an on-lane mode, where the ADV follows a path along a vehicle lane. In response to determining that the ADV is approaching a dead-end, the ADV switches to an open-space mode. While in the open-space mode, the ADV conducts a three-point turn using a series of steering and throttle commands to generate forward and reverse movements until the ADV is within a) a threshold heading, and b) a threshold distance, relative to the vehicle lane. The ADV can then return to the on-lane mode and resume along the vehicle lane away from the dead-end.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, in response to a request to park an ADV into a parking lot, a remote server is accessed over a network (e.g., a VX2 link) to obtain a list of parking spaces that appear to be available in the parking lot. Based on the list of available parking spaces and the map associated with the parking lot, a route is generated to navigate through at least the available parking spaces. The ADV is driven according to the route to locate at least one of the available parking spaces and to park the ADV into the located available parking space. The centralized server is configured to periodically receive signals from a number of parking lots indicating which of the parking spaces of the parking lots are apparently available.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for identifying time-latency and subsystem control actuation dynamic delay due to second order dynamics that are neglected in control systems of the prior art. Embodiments identify time-latency and subsystem control actuation delays by developing a discrete-time dynamic model having parameters and estimating the parameters using a least-squares method over selected crowd-driving data. After estimating the model parameters, the model can be used to identify dynamic actuation delay metrics such as time-latency, rise time, settling time, overshoot, bandwidth, and resonant peak of the control subsystem. Control subsystems can include steering, braking, and throttling.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for reducing second order dynamics delays in a control subsystem (e.g. throttle, braking, or steering) in an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) and increasing control system bandwidth by accounting for time-latency in a control subsystem actuation system. A control input is received from an ADV's autonomous driving system. The control input is translated into a control command of the control subsystem of the ADV. A reference actuation output and a predicted actuation output are generated corresponding to a by-wire (“real”) actuation action for the control subsystem. A control error is determined between the reference actuation action and the by-wire actuation action. A predicted control error is determined between the predicted actuation action and the between the by-wire actuation action. Adaptive gains are determined and applied to the by-wire actuation action to generate a second by-wire actuation action.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for optimizing a controller of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) includes obtaining several samples, each sample having a set of parameters, iteratively performing, until a predetermined condition is satisfied: determining, for each sample, a score according to a configuration of the controller based on the set of parameters of the sample, applying a machine learning model to the samples and corresponding scores to determine a mean function and a variance function, producing a new sample as a minimum of a function of the mean function and the variance function with respect to an input space of the set of parameters, adding the new sample to the several samples, and outputting the new sample as an optimal sample, where parameters of the optimal sample are utilized to configure the controller to autonomously drive the ADV.

Abstract: In one embodiment, method performed by an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) that determines, within a driving space, a plurality of routes from a current location of the ADV to a desired location. The method determines, for each route of the plurality of routes, an objective function to control the ADV autonomously along the route and, for each of the objective functions, performs Differential Dynamic Programming (DDP) optimization in view of a set of constraints to produce a path trajectory. The method determines whether at least one of the path trajectories satisfies each constraint and, in response to a path trajectory satisfying each of the constraints, selects the path trajectory for navigating the ADV from the current location to the desired location.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a plurality of obstacles is sensed in an environment of an automated driving vehicle (ADV). One or more representations are formed to represent corresponding groupings of the plurality of obstacles. A vehicle route is determined in view of the one or more representations, rather than each and every one of the obstacles individually.