Tracking different sections of articulated vehicles

Abstract

This document describes techniques and systems related to tracking different sections of articulated vehicles. A vehicle uses a radar system that can discern between unarticulated vehicles and articulated vehicles, which by definition have multiple sections that can pivot in different directions for turning or closely following a curve. The radar system obtains detections indicative of another vehicle traveling nearby. When the detections indicate the other vehicle is articulated, the radar system tracks each identifiable section, rather than tracking all the sections together. A bounding box is generated for each identifiable section; the radar system separately and concurrently monitors a velocity of each bounding box. The multiple bounding boxes that are drawn enable the radar system to accurately track each connected section of the articulated vehicle, including to detect whether any movement occurs between two connected sections, for accurately localizing the vehicle when driving.