Motion-characteristic based object classification for automated vehicle

1. A system, comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices on which are stored instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations for operating a host-vehicle, comprising:

detecting, by an object-detector on the host-vehicle, movement of a first object proximate to the host-vehicle;

classifying an estimated density of the first object, comprising:

determining movement of the first object is caused by movement of air proximate to the first object,

in response to determining that the movement of the first object is caused by the movement of air proximate to the first object, classifying the first object as a dense object based on a difference in a velocity and a change of position of the air proximate to the first object, with a velocity and a change of position of the first object; and

operating the host-vehicle in accordance with the classification of the classified estimated density of the first object.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein classifying the estimated density comprises classifying the estimated density of the first object as low density or dense, and wherein operating the host-vehicle in accordance with the classification of the estimated density of the first object comprises:

operating the host-vehicle to avoid the first object if the first object is classified as dense, and

operating the host-vehicle not to avoid the first object if the first object is classified as low-density.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the object-detector comprises a first device and a second device, and wherein classifying the estimated density of the first object comprises:

receiving, from the first device, first data about a first motion-characteristic of the first object proximate to the host-vehicle;

classifying a first density of the first object as dense, based on the first motion-characteristic;

receiving, from the second device, second data about a second motion-characteristic of the first object proximate to the host-vehicle;

classifying a second density of the first object as low density, based on the second motion-characteristic; and

classifying the estimated density of the first object as dense.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the operations further comprise:

in accordance with a classification of the estimated density of the first object as dense, determining whether the host-vehicle can pass over the first object such that first object does not make contact with the host-vehicle; and

in accordance with the determination that the host-vehicle can pass over the first object, operating the host-vehicle to cause the host-vehicle to pass over the first object.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first motion-characteristic of the first object is based on one or more characteristics of air-movement of air proximate to the first object.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein classifying the density of the first object based on the first motion-characteristic of the first object comprises:

characterizing the first motion-characteristic of the first object as motionless; and

determining that a velocity of the air-movement of the air proximate to the first object exceeds a pre-determined threshold, wherein the pre-determined threshold indicates the maximum velocity for air proximate to an object that when struck by the host-vehicle, would not cause damage to the host-vehicle; and

in accordance with a determination that the velocity of the air-movement of the air proximate to the first object exceeds the pre-determined threshold, classifying the first object as dense.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the air-movement comprises a velocity of the air-movement.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise:

operating the host-vehicle on a roadway; and

computing a velocity of the air-movement of the air proximate to the first object based on air displacement of a second vehicle passing by the host-vehicle, including:

identifying one of a size of the second vehicle, a speed of the second vehicle relative to the first object, and a distance of the second vehicle relative to the first object,

measuring movement of the first object as the second vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the first object as the second vehicle passes by the first object, and

estimating a corresponding velocity of the air-movement of the air proximate to the first object based on an air-displacement-model, wherein the air-displacement-model provides, as a function of: the (i) size, speed, and distance of the second vehicle passing by the first object, and (ii) movement of the first object while the second vehicle was passing by, a corresponding estimated velocity of the air-movement of air displaced by the second vehicle as the second vehicle passed by the first object.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise:

operating the host-vehicle on a roadway; and

computing the air-movement of the air proximate to the first object based on an actual steering-correction necessary to keep the host-vehicle centered on the roadway, including:

calculating, based on an angle of the roadway, a base steering-correction for the host-vehicle, wherein the base steering-correction is a steering-correction required to keep the host-vehicle centered on the roadway, wherein the base steering-correction is calculated without factoring in a velocity of cross-wind proximate to the host-vehicle, and

calculating a velocity of the air-movement of the air proximate to the first object based on a difference between the actual steering-correction and the base steering-correction.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise:

operating the host-vehicle on a roadway;

detecting, by the object-detector, a second object proximate to the roadway;

determining that the first motion-characteristic for the second object is characterized as in motion; and

in accordance with a determination that the first motion-characteristic for the second object is characterized as in motion, determining that a velocity of the air-movement of the air proximate to the first object is not zero.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the host-vehicle is an automated vehicle.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the object-detector comprises one or more devices, including a camera.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the object-detector comprises one or more devices, including a lidar device.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the object-detector comprises one or more devices, including a radar device.

15. A method for operating a host-vehicle, comprising:

detecting, by an object-detector on a host-vehicle, movement of a first object proximate to the host-vehicle;

classifying an estimated density of the first object, comprising:

determining movement of the first object is caused by movement of air proximate to the first object,

in response to determining that the movement of the first object is caused by the movement of air proximate to the first object, classifying the first object as a dense object based on a difference in a velocity and a change of position of the air proximate to the first object, with a velocity and a change of position of the first object; and

operating the host-vehicle in accordance with the classification of the estimated density of the first object.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein classifying the estimated density comprises classifying the density of the first object as low density or dense, and wherein operating the host-vehicle in accordance with the classification of the classified estimated density of the first object comprises:

operating the host-vehicle to avoid the first object if the first object is classified as dense, and

operating the host-vehicle not to avoid the first object if the first object is classified as low-density.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations for operating a host-vehicle comprising:

detecting, by an object-detector on the host-vehicle, movement of a first object proximate to the host-vehicle;

classifying an estimated density of the first object, comprising:

determining movement of the first object is caused by movement of air proximate to the first object,

in response to determining that the movement of the first object is caused by the movement of air proximate to the first object, classifying the first object as a dense object based on a difference in a velocity and a change of position of the air proximate to the first object, with a velocity and a change of position of the first object; and

operating the host-vehicle in accordance with the classification of the classified estimated density of the first object.

18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein classifying the estimated density of the first object comprises classifying the density of the first object as low density or dense, and wherein operating the host-vehicle in accordance with the classification of the estimated density of the first object comprises:

operating the host-vehicle to avoid the first object if the first object is classified as dense, and

operating the host-vehicle not to avoid the first object if the first object is classified as low-density.