Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for distance calibration of an autonomous vehicle in a nominally short distance calibration environment. In particular, apparatus, methods and systems are provided using reflective materials to artificially augment a distance to a known target. In various implementations, reflective planes are disposed in pathway between the autonomous vehicle and target. Targets of known sizes can be used to calculated a distance from the autonomous vehicle to the target. Utilizing the known optical pathway, a calibration can be performed. With the aid of an Autonomous Vehicle Rotation Table, the autonomous vehicle is rotated such that a matrix of range-angle calibrations can be executed. Frequency spectra include LiDAR and radar, but any suitable bandwidth and/or detection protocol is not beyond the scope of the present disclosure.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle (AV) navigates with limited calibration of sensors and other components. To navigate with a less-reliable sensing and control capacity, the AV uses sensors to detect a navigation path within the environment of the AV. The navigation path may include encoded information describing a destination or distance to information, which may be decoded by the AV to select a navigation path or determine movement of the AV along the path. To control movement of the AV along the path, the AV may monitor the navigation path after the AV executes a motion plan to determine the relative motion of the navigation path within the sensor data. The navigation path moving towards or away from a sensor may be used to determine whether the AV is moving towards or away from the navigation line despite relatively unknown sensed characteristics of the environment or actual movement in the environment.