Bus detection for an autonomous vehicle

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors of a computing device, image data indicative of one or more vehicles that are operating in an environment, the image data depicting sizes of respective vehicles of the one or more vehicles;

the one or more processors determining a vehicle from the one or more vehicles that substantially fills a bounding box without exceeding the bounding box;

the one or more processors comparing a size of the vehicle to information indicative of a size of a school bus;

based on the size of the vehicle being within a threshold size of the size of the school bus, the one or more processors comparing a color of the vehicle to a color of a given school bus; and

based on the vehicle being substantially the same color as the color of the given school bus, the one or more processors determining that the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the color of the vehicle to the color of the school bus comprises:

determining a portion of the image data that depicts the vehicle;

dividing the portion of the image data into a plurality of sections;

for respective sections of the plurality of sections, determining a value of difference between a color of the respective section and a substantially orange color;

determining a number of sections of the respective sections of which the value of difference is less than a difference threshold; and

based on the number of sections of the respective sections being greater than a number threshold, determining that the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

the one or more processors determining a portion of the image data that depicts the vehicle;

the one or more processors determining that the portion of the image data includes data indicative of a stop-sign; and

based on the portion of the image data including data indicative of the stop-sign, the one or more processors determining the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

the one or more processors determining a portion of the image data that depicts the vehicle;

the one or more processors determining that the portion of the image data includes data indicative of a school-sign; and

based on the portion of the image data including data indicative of the school-sign, the one or more processors determining the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

the one or more processors receiving operational data indicative of an operation of the vehicle in the environment; and

based on the operational data, the one or more processors determining the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

6. The method of claim 5 ,

wherein the operational data indicative of the operation of the vehicle in the environment comprises data indicative of a stop pattern of the vehicle, and

the method further comprising:

based on the data indicative of the stop pattern of the vehicle, the one or more processors determining the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the data indicative of stop pattern includes data indicative of the vehicle operating a component of the vehicle to extend from a side portion of the vehicle as the vehicle stops.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device resides in an autonomous vehicle operating in the environment.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising based on the vehicle being representative of the given school bus, the one or more processors providing instructions to control the autonomous vehicle in the environment.

10. A vehicle comprising:

a computer system configured to:

receive image data indicative of one or more vehicles that are operating in an environment, the image data depicting sizes of respective vehicles of the one or more vehicles;

determine a vehicle from the one or more vehicles that substantially fills a bounding box without exceeding the bounding box;

compare a size of the vehicle to information indicative of a size of a school bus;

based on the size of the vehicle being within a threshold size of the size of the school bus, compare a color of the vehicle to a color of a given school bus; and

based on the vehicle being substantially the same color as the color of the given school bus, determine that the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:

determine a portion of the image data that depicts the vehicle;

divide the portion of the image data into a plurality of sections;

for respective sections of the plurality of sections, determining a value of difference between a color of the respective section and a substantially orange color;

determine a number of sections of the respective sections of which the value of difference is less than a difference threshold; and

based on the number of sections of the respective sections being greater than a number threshold, determine that the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

12. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:

determine a portion of the image data that depicts the vehicle;

determine that the portion of the image data includes data indicative of a stop-sign; and

based on the portion of the image data including data indicative of the stop-sign, determine the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

13. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:

determine a portion of the image data that depicts the vehicle;

determine that the portion of the image data includes data indicative of a school-sign; and

based on the portion of the image data including data indicative of the school-sign, determine the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

14. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:

receive operational data indicative of an operation of the vehicle in the environment; and

based on the operational data, determine the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 ,

wherein the operational data indicative of the operation of the vehicle in the environment comprises data indicative of a stop pattern of the vehicle, and

the computer system is further configured to:

based on the data indicative of the stop pattern of the vehicle, determine the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the stop pattern includes data indicative of the vehicle operating a component of the vehicle to extend from a side portion of the vehicle as the vehicle stops.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions, that when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform functions comprising:

receiving image data indicative of one or more vehicles that are operating in an environment, the image data depicting sizes of the one or more vehicles;

determining a vehicle from the one or more vehicles that substantially fills a bounding box without exceeding the bounding box;

comparing a size of the vehicle to information indicative of a size of a school bus;

based on the size of the vehicle being within a threshold size of the size of the school bus, comparing a color of the vehicle to a color of a given school bus; and

based on the vehicle being substantially the same color as the color of the given school bus, determining that the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the computer system to cause the computer system to perform functions comprising:

determining a portion of the image data that depicts the vehicle;

dividing the portion of the image data into a plurality of sections;

for respective sections of the plurality of sections, determining a value of difference between a color of the respective section and a substantially orange color;

determining a number of sections of the respective sections of which the value of difference is less than a difference threshold; and

based on the number of sections of the respective sections being greater than a number threshold, determining that the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the computer system to cause the computer system to perform functions comprising:

determining a portion of the image data that depicts the vehicle;

determining that the portion of the image data includes data indicative of a stop-sign; and

based on the portion of the image data including data indicative of the stop-sign, determining the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the computer system to cause the computer system to perform functions comprising:

determining a portion of the image data that depicts the vehicle;

determining that the portion of the image data includes data indicative of a school-sign; and

based on the portion of the image data including data indicative of the school-sign, determining the vehicle is representative of the given school bus.