Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Uriah Baalke

Stav Braun

Sonia Jin

Jia Hao Lim

Customized navigation maps of an area are generated for autonomous vehicles based on a baseline map of the area, transportation systems within the area, and attributes of the autonomous vehicles. The customized navigation maps include a plurality of paths, and two or more of the paths may form an optimal route for performing a task by an autonomous vehicle. Customized navigation maps may be generated for outdoor spaces or indoor spaces, and include specific infrastructure or features on which a specific autonomous vehicle may be configured for travel. Routes may be determined based on access points at destinations such as buildings, and the access points may be manually selected by a user or automatically selected on any basis. The autonomous vehicles may be guided by GPS systems when traveling outdoors, and by imaging devices or other systems when traveling indoors.

Indoor deliveries by autonomous vehicles

One variation of a method for autonomously navigating along a crosswalk includes: at a first time, navigating autonomously along a sidewalk toward a crosswalk coinciding with a navigation route assigned to the autonomous vehicle; recording optical data of a scene proximal the autonomous vehicle via an optical sensor integrated into the autonomous vehicle; aligning an anteroposterior axis of the autonomous vehicle to the crosswalk detected in the optical data; identifying a pedestrian proximal the crosswalk in the optical data; in response to the pedestrian entering the crosswalk at a second time succeeding the first time, predicting right of way of the autonomous vehicle to enter the crosswalk; and, in response to predicting right of the autonomous vehicle to enter the crosswalk, autonomously navigating from the sidewalk into the crosswalk and autonomously navigating along the crosswalk to an opposing sidewalk according to the navigation route.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Uriah Baalke