Zoox, Inc.

David Evan Zlotnik

Joseph Funke

Zachary Stuart Churukian

Jacob Patrick Thalman

Vincent Andreas Laurense

Joshua Dean Egbert

Marin Kobilarov

Johannes Edren

Mark Jonathon McClelland

Kazuhide Okamoto

Ahditya Melkote

Olivier Toupet

Jeremy Schwartz

Sriram Narayanan

Jack Riley

Rasoul Kabirzadeh

Dhanushka Nirmevan Kularatne

Xianan Huang

Liam Gallagher

Justin Calvin Leung

Amirhossein Tamjidi

Techniques are described herein for determining simulated vehicle positional errors and correlating the positional errors with vehicle features. Such techniques may include receiving log data comprising trajectories and position data for a real vehicle, and executing a log-based simulated vehicle based on the log data. A simulated vehicle may be controlled to follow a simulation trajectory in a simulated environment based on the trajectory of the real vehicle. A simulation system may determine a difference between the positions of the simulated vehicle and corresponding positions of the real vehicle in the real environment. The techniques may further include determining a vehicle state features correlated to the lateral and/or longitudinal position errors of the simulated vehicle, and determining, based on the vehicle state features, position error distributions and/or models that can be used to control subsequent driving simulations.

Simulated vehicle position errors in driving simulations

Systems and techniques for determining a sideslip vector for a vehicle that may have a direction that is different from that of a heading vector for the vehicle. The sideslip vector in a current vehicle state and sideslip vectors in predicted vehicles states may be used to determine paths for a vehicle through an environment and trajectories for controlling the vehicle through the environment. The sideslip vector may be based on a vehicle position that is the center point of the wheelbase of the vehicle and may include lateral velocity, facilitating the control of four-wheel steered vehicle while maintaining the ability to control two-wheel steered vehicles.

Determining vehicle position using sideslip vector

Four-wheel steering of a vehicle, e.g., in which leading wheels and trailing wheels are steered independently of each other, can provide improved maneuverability and stability. A first vehicle model may be used to determine trajectories for execution by a vehicle equipped with four-wheel steering. A second vehicle model may be used to control the vehicle relative to the determined trajectories. For instance, the second vehicle model can determine leading wheels steering angles for steering leading wheels of the vehicle and trailing wheels steering angles for steering trailing wheels of the vehicle, independently of the leading wheels.

Trajectory determination for four-wheel steering

Techniques for accurately predicting vehicle state errors for avoiding collisions with objects detected in an environment of a vehicle are discussed herein. A vehicle safety system can implement a model determine a representation of the vehicle usable in a scenario. The model may dynamically determine a size and/or a heading of the vehicle representation based on differences between a candidate trajectory and a current trajectory of the vehicle. The safety system can identify a potential collision between the vehicle and the object based at least in part on an overlap of the vehicle representation and an object representation.

Vehicle representation determination

Four-wheel steering of a vehicle, e.g., in which leading wheels and trailing wheels are steered independently of each other, can provide improved maneuverability and stability. Steering angle constraints may be used to limit or prevent saturation of steering by only one set of wheels as well as to reduce sideslip. The steering angle constraints are vehicle independent and applicable across a fleet of different vehicles based on vehicle speed. For instance, the steering angle constraints establish angle limits that dynamically adjust based on vehicle speed to ensure vehicle velocity and acceleration remain within predefined limits as established by autonomous vehicle system design.

Four wheel steering angle constraints

This application describes systems and techniques for adjusting one or more setting(s) of a vehicle based on detected condition(s) to avoid damage due to contact of the tires with a body, chassis, or other components of the vehicle. In some instances, the vehicle may determine a ride height of the vehicle, determine a limited range of steering angles based at least in part on the ride height, and control operation of the steering system of the vehicle based at least in part on the limited range of steering angles. In some instances, the vehicle may determine a steering angle of the vehicle, determine a limited range of ride heights based at least in part on the steering angle, and control operation of the suspension system of the vehicle based at least in part on the limited range of ride heights.

Dynamic vehicle steering and/or suspension constraints

Trajectory tracking with four-wheel steering

Trajectory tracking with four-wheel steering and steering limits

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Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

David Evan Zlotnik