Zoox, Inc.

Akash Arora

Lichao Ma

Max Gier

Moritz Harmel

Techniques for determining gaps for performing lane change operations are described. A first region in an environment of a vehicle can be determined. The first region can be associated with a first time period through which the vehicle is unable to travel and can correspond to a constraint space. A second region of the environment can be determined. The second region can be associated with a second time period and can correspond to a configuration space. A gap in the environment can be determined based on a portion of the configuration space that is exclusive of the constraint space. A trajectory can be determined based on the gap. The trajectory can be associated with performing a lane change operation and can be associated with a cost. The vehicle can be controlled to perform the lane change operation based at least in part on the trajectory and the cost.

Lane change gap finder

A vehicle computing system may implement techniques to determine an action for a vehicle to perform based on a cost associated therewith. The cost may be based on a detected object (e.g., another vehicle, bicyclist, pedestrian, etc.) operating in the environment and/or a possible object associated with an occluded region (e.g., a blocked area in which an object may be located). The vehicle computing system may determine two or more actions the vehicle could take with respect to the detected object and/or the occluded region and may generate a simulation associated with each action. The vehicle computing system may run the simulation associated with each action to determine a safety cost, a progress cost, a comfort cost, an operational rules cost, and/or an occlusion cost associated with each action. The vehicle computing system may select the action for the vehicle to perform based on an optimal cost being associated therewith.

Growing community of inventors

San Mateo, CA, United States of America

Akash Arora