Autonomous vehicle identification
Various technologies described herein pertain to controlling an autonomous vehicle to provide indicators to distinguish the autonomous vehicle from other autonomous vehicles in a fleet. The autonomous vehicle includes a vehicle propulsion system, a braking system, a notification system, and a computing system. The notification system outputs an indicator that is perceivable external to the autonomous vehicle. The computing system receives data specifying an identity of a passenger to be picked up by the autonomous vehicle. Moreover, the computing system controls at least one of the vehicle propulsion system or the braking system to stop the autonomous vehicle for passenger pickup. Further, the computing system controls the notification system to output the indicator; a characteristic of the indicator outputted by the notification system is controlled based on the identity of the passenger to be picked up and whether the autonomous vehicle is stopped for passenger pickup.
1. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle propulsion system;
a braking system;
a notification system, the notification system comprises a sound system configured to output an audible indicator, the audible indicator being perceivable from a position external to the autonomous vehicle; and
a computing system that is in communication with the vehicle propulsion system, the braking system, and the notification system, wherein the computing system comprises:
a processor; and
memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
receiving data specifying an identity of a passenger to be picked up by the autonomous vehicle;
controlling at least one of the vehicle propulsion system or the braking system to cause the autonomous vehicle to stop for passenger pickup; and
controlling the notification system of the autonomous vehicle to output the audible indicator, one or more characteristics of the audible indicator outputted by the notification system being controlled based on the identity of the passenger to be picked up and a state of the autonomous vehicle, the one or more characteristics of the audible indicator comprise an identity of a song chosen by the passenger to be picked up, wherein the state of the autonomous vehicle comprises one of:
the autonomous vehicle being stopped for passenger pickup during a time period appropriate for the passenger to enter the autonomous vehicle; or
the autonomous vehicle not being stopped for passenger pickup.
2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , the one or more characteristics of the audible indicator being predefined by the passenger to be picked up.
3. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , the one or more characteristics of the audible indicator outputted by the notification system further being controlled based on a distance between the autonomous vehicle and the passenger to be picked up.
4. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , the notification system further comprises a lighting system configured to emit a visual indicator viewable from the position external to the autonomous vehicle, wherein the notification system of the autonomous vehicle is further controlled to output the visual indicator, and wherein one or more characteristics of the visual indicator are controlled based on the identity of the passenger to be picked up and the state of the autonomous vehicle.
5. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , the one or more characteristics of the visual indicator comprise a color of the visual indicator.
6. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , the one or more characteristics of the visual indicator comprise a location of the visual indicator relative to the autonomous vehicle.
7. The autonomous vehicle of claim 6 , the location of the visual indicator relative to the autonomous vehicle further being controlled based on a seat in the autonomous vehicle available for the passenger to be picked up.
8. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , the one or more characteristics of the visual indicator comprise an animation.
9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , the one or more characteristics of the audible indicator being controlled to differ when the autonomous vehicle is stopped for passenger pickup as compared to when the autonomous vehicle is not stopped for passenger pickup.
10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a window; and
a window actuator, the window actuator configured to move the window;
wherein the computing system is further in communication with the window actuator; and
wherein the memory further stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
controlling the window actuator to lower the window when the autonomous vehicle is stopped for passenger pickup and the passenger to be picked up is within a predetermined distance from the autonomous vehicle.
11. The autonomous vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the sound system is configured to emit the audible indicator perceivable from the position external to the autonomous vehicle when the window is lowered.
12. A method performed by an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving data specifying an identity of a passenger to be picked up by the autonomous vehicle;
controlling at least one of a vehicle propulsion system of the autonomous vehicle or a braking system of the autonomous vehicle to cause the autonomous vehicle to stop for passenger pickup; and
controlling a sound system of the autonomous vehicle to emit an audible indicator perceivable from a position external to the autonomous vehicle, one or more characteristics of the audible indicator being controlled based on the identity of the passenger and a state of the autonomous vehicle, the one or more characteristics of the audible indicator comprise an identity of a song chosen by the passenger to be picked up, wherein the state of the autonomous vehicle comprises one of:
the autonomous vehicle being stopped for passenger pickup during a time period appropriate for the passenger to enter the autonomous vehicle; or
the autonomous vehicle not being stopped for passenger pickup.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
controlling a lighting system of the autonomous vehicle to emit a visual indicator viewable from a position external to the autonomous vehicle, one or more characteristics of the visual indicator being controlled based on the identity of the passenger and the state of the autonomous vehicle.
14. The method of claim 13 , the one or more characteristics of the visual indicator comprise at least one of:
a color of the visual indicator;
a location of the visual indicator relative to the autonomous vehicle; or
an animation.
15. The method of claim 13 , the one or more characteristics of the visual indicator specifies a particular door of the autonomous vehicle for entry into the autonomous vehicle by the passenger to be picked up.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
selecting the particular door based on a seat availability in the autonomous vehicle for the passenger to be picked up.
17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
detecting whether the passenger to be picked up is within a predetermined distance from the autonomous vehicle; and
controlling a window actuator of the autonomous vehicle to lower a window of the autonomous vehicle when the autonomous vehicle is stopped for passenger pickup and the passenger to be picked up is detected to be within the predetermined distance from the autonomous vehicle.
18. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
a computer-readable storage medium that comprises instructions that, when executed by one of more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform actions comprising:
controlling at least one of a vehicle propulsion system of the autonomous vehicle or a braking system of the autonomous vehicle to cause the autonomous vehicle to stop for passenger pickup, wherein data specifying an identity of a passenger to be picked up by the autonomous vehicle is received by the autonomous vehicle;
selecting a particular door of the autonomous vehicle for entry into the autonomous vehicle by the passenger to be picked up, the particular door being selected based on seat availability in the autonomous vehicle for the passenger to be picked up; and
controlling a sound system of the autonomous vehicle to output an audible indicator perceivable from a position external to the autonomous vehicle, wherein the audible indicator specifies the particular door of the autonomous vehicle for entry into the autonomous vehicle by the passenger to be picked up, wherein one or more characteristics of the audible indicator outputted by the sound system is controlled based on the identity of the passenger to be picked up and a state of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the one or more characteristics of the audible indicator comprise an identity of a song chosen by the passenger to be picked up, and wherein the state of the autonomous vehicle comprises one of:
the autonomous vehicle being stopped for passenger pickup during a time period appropriate for the passenger to enter the autonomous vehicle; or
the autonomous vehicle not being stopped for passenger pickup.
19. The autonomous vehicle of claim 18 , the computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions that, when executed by the one of more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform actions comprising:
controlling a lighting system of the autonomous vehicle to emit a visual indicator viewable from a position external to the autonomous vehicle, one or more characteristics of the visual indicator being controlled based on the identity of the passenger and the state of the autonomous vehicle.
20. The autonomous vehicle of claim 18 , the computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions that, when executed by the one of more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform actions comprising:
detecting whether the passenger to be picked up is within a predetermined distance from the autonomous vehicle; and
controlling a window actuator of the autonomous vehicle to lower a window of the autonomous vehicle of the particular door when the autonomous vehicle is stopped for passenger pickup and the passenger to be picked up is detected to be within the predetermined distance from the autonomous vehicle.