Systems and methods for navigating lane merges and lane splits
Systems and methods are provided for navigating an autonomous vehicle. In one implementation, a system includes a processing device programmed to receive a plurality of images representative of an environment of the host vehicle. The environment includes a road on which the host vehicle is traveling. The at least one processing device is further programmed to analyze the images to identify a target vehicle traveling in a lane of the road different from a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling; analyze the images to identify a lane mark associated with the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling; detect lane mark characteristics of the identified lane mark; use the detected lane mark characteristics to determine a type of the identified lane mark; determine a characteristic of the target vehicle; and determine a navigational action for the host vehicle based on the determined lane mark type and the determined characteristic of the target vehicle.
1. A system for navigating a host vehicle, the system comprising:
at least one processing device programmed to:
receive, from an image capture device, a plurality of images representative of an environment of the host vehicle, the environment including a road on which the host vehicle is traveling;
analyze at least one of the plurality of images to identify a target vehicle traveling in a lane of the road different from a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling;
analyze at least one of the plurality of images to identify at least one lane mark associated with the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling;
detect one or more lane mark characteristics of the at least one identified lane mark;
use the one or more detected lane mark characteristics to determine a type of the at least one identified lane mark;
determine at least one characteristic of the target vehicle based on at least one of the plurality of images, wherein the at least one determined characteristic of the target vehicle includes a detected lateral motion of the target vehicle relative to the at least one identified lane mark; and
determine a navigational action for the host vehicle based on the determined lane mark type and the determined characteristic of the target vehicle.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determined lane mark type includes a merge lane.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more detected lane mark characteristics includes a distance of the at least one identified lane mark to a reference point.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the reference point includes at least one other lane mark of the road.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more detected lane mark characteristics includes an intersection of the at least one identified lane mark with at least one other lane mark of the road.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more detected lane mark characteristics includes a change in lateral distances between the at least one identified lane mark and at least one other lane mark of the road.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining at least one characteristic of the target vehicle includes analyzing at least one of the plurality of images.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one determined characteristic of the target vehicle includes a position of the target vehicle on the road forward of the host vehicle.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one determined characteristic of the target vehicle includes a velocity of the target vehicle relative to the host vehicle.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one determined characteristic of the target vehicle includes a predicted trajectory of the target vehicle.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determined navigation action for the host vehicle includes changing a rate of acceleration.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determined navigation action for the host vehicle includes a steering action of the host vehicle.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processing device is further programmed to predict a navigational action of the target vehicle based on the determined lane mark type.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the predicted navigational action of the target vehicle includes a lane merge.
15. A system for navigating a host vehicle, the system comprising:
at least one processing device programmed to:
receive, from an image capture device, a plurality of images representative of an environment of the host vehicle, the environment including a road on which the host vehicle is traveling;
analyze at least one of the plurality of images to identify a target vehicle traveling in a lane of the road in which the host vehicle is traveling;
analyze at least one of the plurality of images to identify at least one lane mark associated with the lane;
detect one or more characteristics of the at least one identified lane mark;
use the one or more detected lane mark characteristics to determine a type of the at least one identified lane mark;
determine at least one characteristic of the target vehicle based on at least one of the plurality of images, wherein the at least one determined characteristic of the target vehicle includes a detected lateral motion of the target vehicle relative to the at least one identified lane mark; and
determine a navigational action for the host vehicle based on the determined lane mark type and the determined characteristic of the target vehicle.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the determined lane mark type includes a split lane.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more detected lane mark characteristics includes a distance of the at least one identified lane mark to a reference point.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the reference point includes at least one other lane mark of the road.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more detected lane mark characteristics includes a split of the at least identified lane mark into another lane mark.
20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more detected lane mark characteristics includes a change in lateral distances between the at least one identified lane mark and at least one other lane mark of the road.
21. The system of claim 15 , wherein determining at least one characteristic of the target vehicle includes analyzing at least two of the plurality of images.
22. The system claim 15 , wherein the determined navigational action for the host vehicle includes maintaining or increasing a rate of acceleration.
23. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processing device is further programmed to predict a navigational action of the target vehicle based on the determined lane mark type.
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the predicted navigational action of the target vehicle includes a lane change or exiting the road.
25. A method for navigating a host vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving, from an image capture device, a plurality of images representative of an environment of the host vehicle, the environment including a road on which the host vehicle is traveling;
analyzing, by at least one processing device, at least one of the plurality of images to identify a target vehicle traveling in a lane of the road different from a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling;
analyzing at least one of the plurality of images to identify at least one lane mark associated with the lane in which the target vehicle is traveling;
detecting one or more lane mark characteristics of the at least one identified lane mark;
using the one or more detected lane mark characteristics to determine a type of the at least one identified lane mark;
determining at least one characteristic of the target vehicle based on at least one of the plurality of images, wherein the at least one determined characteristic of the target vehicle includes a detected lateral motion of the target vehicle relative to the at least one identified lane mark; and
determining a navigational action for the host vehicle based on the determined lane mark type and the determined characteristic of the target vehicle.
26. A method for navigating a host vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving, from an image capture device, a plurality of images representative of an environment of the host vehicle, the environment including a road on which the host vehicle is traveling;
analyzing, by at least one processing device, at least one of the plurality of images to identify a target vehicle traveling in a lane of the road in which the host vehicle is traveling;
analyzing at least one of the plurality of images to identify at least one lane mark associated with the lane;
detecting one or more characteristics of the at least one identified lane mark;
using the one or more detected lane mark characteristics to determine a type of the at least one identified lane mark;
determining at least one characteristic of the target vehicle based on at least one of the plurality of images, wherein the at least one determined characteristic of the target vehicle includes a detected lateral motion of the target vehicle relative to the at least one identified lane mark; and
determining a navigational action for the host vehicle based on the determined lane mark type and the determined characteristic of the target vehicle.