Countering autonomous vehicle usage for ramming attacks

Abstract

Systems and methods for countering the usage of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles for ramming attacks on a roadway are disclosed. Digital representations of physical trajectories (e.g., roadway travel routes) across which vehicles are expected or permitted to travel are generated based at least on travel-related data (e.g., sensor readings) received from the vehicles over wireless networks. The disclosed systems and methods further generate digital representations of physical trajectories across which vehicles are not permitted to travel, such that the impermissible physical trajectories constitute a deviation from a safe travel route. Additional travel-related data is continuously received from the vehicles in real-time, and the additional data may be combined with non-vehicle data (e.g., pedestrian travel data) and compared to the generated digital representations of permissible and impermissible physical trajectories to determine if the vehicles' physical trajectory is indicative of a harmful impermissible physical trajectory, such as a vehicular ramming attack.