Waymo LLC

Volker Grabe

Colin Andrew Braley

Volodymyr V Ivanchenko

Zachary Morriss

Craig Lewin Robinson

Andrew Crawford

Andreas Wendel

Jeremy Dittmer

Sheng Zhao

Alexander Meade

Stephanie McArthur

Nicholas Armstrong-Crews

Mingcheng Chen

Christian Lauterbach

Gil Shotan

Chen David Lu

Matthew Rinehart

Changchang Wu

Antonio Teran Espinoza

Damien Dusha

The described aspects and implementations enable efficient calibration of a sensing system of an autonomous vehicle (AV). In one implementation, disclosed is a method and a system to perform the method, the system including the sensing system configured to collect sensing data and a data processing system, operatively coupled to the sensing system. The data processing system is configured to identify reference point(s) in an environment of the AV, determine multiple estimated locations of the reference point(s), and adjust parameters of the sensing system based on a loss function representative of differences of the estimated locations.

Calibration of sensors in autonomous vehicle applications

Example embodiments relate to identification of proxy calibration targets for a fleet of sensors. An example method includes collecting, using a sensor coupled to a vehicle, data about one or more objects within an environment of the vehicle. The sensor has been calibrated using a ground-truth calibration target. The method also includes identifying, based on the collected data, at least one candidate object, from among the one or more objects, to be used as a proxy calibration target for other sensors coupled to vehicles within a fleet of vehicles. Further, the method includes providing, by the vehicle, data about the candidate object for use by one or more vehicles within the fleet of vehicles.

Identification of proxy calibration targets for a fleet of vehicles

A method includes monitoring, at a computing device, outputs of a sensor validator. Each output is generated by the sensor validator based on corresponding sensor data from a sensor coupled to an autonomous vehicle, and each output indicates whether the corresponding sensor data is associated with an event. The method also includes mutating, at the computing device, particular sensor data to generate mutated sensor data that is associated with a particular event. The method further includes determining, at the computing device, a performance metric associated with the sensor validator based on a particular output generated by the sensor validator. The particular output is based on the mutated sensor data.

Methods and apparatus for monitoring a sensor validator

Example embodiments relate to methods for localizing light detection and ranging (lidar) calibration targets. An example method includes generating a point cloud of a region based on data from a light detection and ranging (lidar) device. The point cloud may include points representing at least a portion of a calibration target. The method also includes determining a presumed location of the calibration target. Further, the method includes identifying, within the point cloud, a location of a first edge of the calibration target. In addition, the method includes performing a comparison between the identified location of the first edge of the calibration target and a hypothetical location of the first edge of the calibration target within the point cloud if the calibration target were positioned at the presumed location. Still further, the method includes revising the presumed location of the calibration target based on at least the comparison.

Methods for localizing light detection and ranging (lidar) calibration targets

Example embodiments relate to calibration and localization of a light detection and ranging (lidar) device using a previously calibrated and localized lidar device. An example embodiment includes a method. The method includes receiving, by a computing device associated with a second vehicle, a first point cloud captured by a first lidar device of a first vehicle. The first point cloud includes points representing the second vehicle. The method also includes receiving, by the computing device, pose information indicative of a pose of the first vehicle. In addition, the method includes capturing, using a second lidar device of the second vehicle, a second point cloud. Further, the method includes receiving, by the computing device, a third point cloud representing the first vehicle. Yet further, the method includes calibrating and localizing, by the computing device, the second lidar device.

Calibration and localization of a light detection and ranging (lidar) device using a previously calibrated and localized lidar device

An improved, efficient method for mapping world points from an environment (e.g., points generated by a LIDAR sensor of an autonomous vehicle) to locations (e.g., pixels) within rolling-shutter images taken of the environment is provided. This improved method allows for accurate localization of the world point in a rolling-shutter image via an iterative process that converges in very few iterations. The method poses the localization process as an iterative process for determining the time, within the rolling-shutter exposure period of the image, at which the world point was imaged by the camera. The method reduces the number of times the world point is projected into the normalized space of the camera image, often converging in three or fewer iterations.

Efficient algorithm for projecting world points to a rolling shutter image

Systems and methods for extrinsic calibration of vehicle-mounted sensors are provided. One example method involves obtaining first sensor data collected by a first sensor and a second sensor while a vehicle is aligned in a first yaw direction. The method also involves obtaining second sensor data collected by the first sensor and the second sensor while the vehicle is aligned in a second yaw direction. The method also involves determining, based on the first sensor data and the second sensor data, (i) first pitch and roll misalignments of the first sensor relative to the vehicle and (ii) second pitch and roll misalignments of the second sensor relative to the first sensor. The method also involves determining third pitch and roll misalignments of the second sensor relative to the vehicle based on (i) the first pitch and roll misalignments and (ii) the second pitch and roll misalignments.

Extrinsic calibration of sensors mounted on a vehicle

The present disclosure relates to a target, a method, and a system for calibrating a camera. One example embodiment includes a target. The target includes a first pattern of fiducial markers. The target also includes a second pattern of fiducial markers. The first pattern of fiducial markers is a scaled version of the second pattern of fiducial markers, such that a calibration image captured of the target simulates multiple images of a single pattern captured at multiple calibration perspectives.

Target, method, and system for camera calibration

The disclosure provides for a method of calibrating a detection system that is mounted on a vehicle. The method includes detecting characteristics of the mirror and characteristics of a vehicle portion using the detection system. The mirror reflects the vehicle portion to be detected using the detection system. The method also includes determining a first transform based on the detected one or more of mirror characteristics, determining a second transform based on the one or more vehicle portion characteristics, and determining a third transform based on a known position of the vehicle portion in relation to the vehicle. Further, the method includes determining a position of the detection system relative to the vehicle based on the first, second, and third transforms and then calibrating the detection system using the determined position of the detection system relative to the vehicle.

Calibration of detection system to vehicle using a mirror

The technology relates to fiducials for calibrating or validating a vehicle's sensors. One or more computing devices receive a plurality of data sets captured by the sensors from the plurality of fiducials. Each of the data sets corresponds to a respective sensor of the plurality of sensors. The one or more computing devices determine whether data in each of the plurality of data sets contains expected data representative of a respective fiducial of the plurality of fiducials. For each of the respective sensors, the one or more computing devices output a calibration status or a validation status associated with each data set that contains the expected data representative of the respective fiducial.

Methods of calibrating or validating sensors by using a plurality of fiducials

Example embodiments relate to identifying defects in optical detector systems based on extent of stray light. An example embodiment includes a method. The method includes capturing, using an optical detector system, an image of a scene that includes a bright object. The method also includes determining a location of the bright object within the image. Further, the method includes determining, based on the location of the bright object within the image, an extent of stray light from the bright object that is represented in the image. In addition, the method includes determining, by comparing the extent of stray light from the bright object that is represented in the image to a predetermined threshold extent of stray light, whether one or more defects are present within the optical detector system. The predetermined threshold extent of stray light corresponds to an expected extent of stray light.

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Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Volker Grabe