Uber Technologies, Inc.

Uatc, LLC

Aurora Operations, Inc.

Don Burnette

David McAllister Bradley

Michael Lee Phillips

Anthony Joseph Stentz

Eric Michael Perko

Colin Jeffrey Green

Wei Liu

Eric Lloyd Wilkinson

Kalin Vasilev Gochev

Samuel Philip Marden

Somchaya Liemhetcharat

Harishma Dayanidhi

Anthony Scott Levandowski

The present disclosure provides autonomous vehicle systems and methods that include or otherwise leverage a motion planning system that generates constraints as part of determining a motion plan for an autonomous vehicle (AV). In particular, a scenario generator within a motion planning system can generate constraints based on where objects of interest are predicted to be relative to an autonomous vehicle. A constraint solver can identify navigation decisions for each of the constraints that provide a consistent solution across all constraints. The solution provided by the constraint solver can be in the form of a trajectory path determined relative to constraint areas for all objects of interest. The trajectory path represents a set of navigation decisions such that a navigation decision relative to one constraint doesn't sacrifice an ability to satisfy a different navigation decision relative to one or more other constraints.

Discrete decision architecture for motion planning system of an autonomous vehicle

A method for operating an autonomous vehicle can involve monitoring a throttle position of a throttle pedal on the semi-autonomous vehicle. Once the throttle pedal is found to no longer be depressed, the vehicle can be returned to human control.

Method for maintaining active control of an autonomous vehicle

Method for maintaining active control of an autonomous vehicle can involve confirming the active presence of a human in a semi-autonomous vehicle. The human's active physical control and monitoring of the semi-autonomous vehicle can be verified by detecting that a throttle pedal on the semi-autonomous vehicle is depressed relative to a non-actuated position. The vehicle can then continue semi-autonomously as long as the active physical control and monitoring by the human is confirmed. Once the throttle pedal is found to no longer be depressed, the vehicle can be returned to normal human control.

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Don Burnette