Torc Robotics, Inc.

John Blankenhorn

William Davis

Yexuan Hao

Paul Brown

Joshua Petrin

Ajay Tulsyan

Savio Pereira

Daniel Fernández

Garrett Madsen

Adam Shoemaker

Embodiments herein include systems and methods of generating lane selection cost values to control autonomous vehicles to accommodate merging vehicles in a tapering lane (or merge lane). An autonomy system can identify a tapering lane in map data and detect a merging vehicle situated in the tapering lane using perception sensor data. The autonomy system includes a lane-selection cost function that generates lane-selection cost values for the lanes available to the automated vehicle, which the autonomy system references to determine whether to continue traveling a current lane or change lanes into an adjacent lane. The lane-selection cost function may apply a courtesy weight when detecting the merging vehicle, such that the autonomy system causes the automated vehicle to change lanes as a courtesy to the merging vehicle, but without overriding other safety-related factors of the lane-selection cost function or trajectory planning functions.

Courtesy lane selection paradigm

Growing community of inventors

Blacksburg, VA, United States of America

John Blankenhorn