Route planning for an autonomous vehicle
Among other things, a determination is made of and ability of an autonomous vehicle to safely or robustly travel a road feature or a road segment or a route that is being considered for the autonomous vehicle as of a time or range of times. The route conforms to properties of stored road network information. The road feature or road segment or route is eliminated from consideration if the computer has determined that the road feature or road segment or route cannot be safely or robustly traveled by the autonomous vehicle. The determination is based on analysis of performance of the autonomous vehicle.
1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause operations comprising:
identifying two or more candidate routes that can be traveled by a vehicle from a starting position to a goal position, wherein each of the two or more candidate routes comprise a respective sequence of connected road segments;
retrieving, for a first route of the two or more candidate routes, a first data set associated with a first sequence of connected road segments of the first route;
determining, based on the first data set, that a segment of the first sequence includes a requirement for a minimum speed;
determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence, wherein the level of performance is influenced by environmental conditions that the vehicle would be exposed to by traveling on the segment of the first sequence;
determining that the maximum speed is less than the requirement for the minimum speed;
in accordance with a determination that the maximum speed is less than the requirement for the minimum speed, eliminating the first route from consideration as a candidate route;
selecting a second route from remaining routes of the two or more candidate routes; and
causing a control circuit to operate the vehicle according to the selected second route.
2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1 , wherein determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence comprises:
analyzing prior levels of performance achieved by sensors on the segment of the first sequence; and
determining the maximum speed based on the analysis.
3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1 , wherein determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence comprises:
retrieving results of simulations of levels of performance achieved by sensors on the segment of the first sequence; and
determining the maximum speed based on the retrieved results.
4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1 , wherein determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence comprises:
retrieving a complexity data associated with the segment of the first sequence; and
determining the maximum speed based on the retrieved complexity data.
5. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause operations comprising:
identifying two or more candidate routes that can be traveled by a vehicle from a starting position to a goal position, wherein each of the two or more candidate routes comprise a respective sequence of connected road segments;
retrieving, for a first route of the two or more candidate routes, a first data set associated with a first sequence of connected road segments of the first route;
determining, based on the first data set, for a segment of the first sequence a requirement for a maximum speed;
determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence, wherein the level of performance is influenced by environmental conditions that the vehicle would be exposed to by traveling on the segment of the first sequence;
determining that the maximum speed is less than the requirement for the maximum speed;
in accordance with a determination that the maximum speed is less than the requirement for the maximum speed, eliminating the first route from consideration as a candidate route;
selecting a second route from remaining routes of the two or more candidate routes; and
causing a control circuit to operate the vehicle according to the selected second route.
6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 5 , wherein determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence comprises:
analyzing prior levels of performance achieved by sensors on the segment of the first sequence; and
determining the maximum speed based on the analysis.
7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 5 , wherein determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence comprises:
retrieving results of simulations of levels of performance achieved by sensors on the segment of the first sequence; and
determining the maximum speed based on the retrieved results.
8. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause operations comprising:
identifying two or more candidate routes that can be traveled by a vehicle from a starting position to a goal position, wherein each of the two or more candidate routes comprise a respective sequence of connected road segments;
retrieving, for a first route of the two or more candidate routes, a first data set associated with a first sequence of connected road segments of the first route;
determining, based on the first data set, for a segment of the first sequence, a requirement for performing a maneuver that comprises a forward movement and reverse movement;
determining, based on a level of performance to be achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence, that the vehicle is unable to perform the maneuver, wherein the level of performance is influenced by environmental conditions that the vehicle would be exposed to by traveling on the segment of the first sequence;
in accordance with a determination that the vehicle is unable to perform the maneuver, eliminating the first route from consideration as a candidate route;
selecting a second route from remaining routes of the two or more candidate routes; and
causing a control circuit to operate the vehicle according to the selected second route.
9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8 , wherein determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence comprises:
analyzing prior levels of performance achieved by sensors on the segment of the first sequence; and
determining the maximum speed based on the analysis.
10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8 , wherein determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence comprises:
retrieving results of simulations of levels of performance achieved by sensors on the segment of the first sequence; and
determining the maximum speed based on the retrieved results.
11. A computer-implemented method comprising:
identifying two or more candidate routes that can be traveled by a vehicle from a starting position to a goal position, wherein each of the two or more candidate routes comprise a respective sequence of connected road segments;
retrieving, for a first route of the two or more candidate routes, a first data set associated with a first sequence of connected road segments of the first route;
determining, based on the first data set, that a segment of the first sequence includes a requirement for a minimum speed;
determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence, wherein the level of performance is influenced by environmental conditions that the vehicle would be exposed to by traveling on the segment of the first sequence;
determining that the maximum speed is less than the requirement for the minimum speed;
in accordance with a determination that the maximum speed is less than the requirement for the minimum speed, eliminating the first route from consideration as a candidate route;
selecting a second route from remaining routes of the two or more candidate routes; and
causing a control circuit to operate the vehicle according to the selected second route.
12. The computer implemented method of claim 11 , wherein determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence comprises:
analyzing prior levels of performance achieved by sensors on the segment of the first sequence; and
determining the maximum speed based on the analysis.
13. The computer implemented method of claim 11 , wherein determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence comprises:
retrieving results of simulations of levels of performance achieved by sensors on the segment of the first sequence; and
determining the maximum speed based on the retrieved results.
14. The computer implemented method of claim 11 , wherein determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence comprises:
retrieving a complexity data associated with the segment of the first sequence; and
determining the maximum speed based on the retrieved complexity data.
15. A computer implemented method comprising:
identifying two or more candidate routes that can be traveled by a vehicle from a starting position to a goal position, wherein each of the two or more candidate routes comprise a respective sequence of connected road segments;
retrieving, for a first route of the two or more candidate routes, a first data set associated with a first sequence of connected road segments of the first route;
determining, based on the first data set, for a segment of the first sequence a requirement for a maximum speed;
determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence, wherein the level of performance is influenced by environmental conditions that the vehicle would be exposed to by traveling on the segment of the first sequence;
determining that the maximum speed is less than the requirement for the maximum speed;
in accordance with a determination that the maximum speed is less than the requirement for the maximum speed, eliminating the first route from consideration as a candidate route;
selecting a second route from remaining routes of the two or more candidate routes; and
causing a control circuit to operate the vehicle according to the selected second route.
16. The computer implemented method of claim 15 , wherein determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence comprises:
analyzing prior levels of performance achieved by sensors on the segment of the first sequence; and
determining the maximum speed based on the analysis.
17. The computer implemented method of claim 15 , wherein determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence comprises:
retrieving results of simulations of levels of performance achieved by sensors on the segment of the first sequence; and
determining the maximum speed based on the retrieved results.
18. A computer-implemented method comprising:
identifying two or more candidate routes that can be traveled by a vehicle from a starting position to a goal position, wherein each of the two or more candidate routes comprise a respective sequence of connected road segments;
retrieving, for a first route of the two or more candidate routes, a first data set associated with a first sequence of connected road segments of the first route;
determining, based on the first data set, for a segment of the first sequence, a requirement for performing a maneuver that comprises a forward movement and reverse movement;
determining, based on a level of performance to be achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence, that the vehicle is unable to perform the maneuver, wherein the level of performance is influenced by environmental conditions that the vehicle would be exposed to by traveling on the segment of the first sequence;
in accordance with a determination that the vehicle is unable to perform the maneuver, eliminating the first route from consideration as a candidate route;
selecting a second route from remaining routes of the two or more candidate routes; and
causing a control circuit to operate the vehicle according to the selected second route.
19. The computer implemented method of claim 18 , wherein determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence comprises:
analyzing prior levels of performance achieved by sensors on the segment of the first sequence; and
determining the maximum speed based on the analysis.
20. The computer implemented method of claim 18 , wherein determining a maximum speed for the vehicle based on a level of performance achieved by a sensor of the vehicle were the vehicle to travel on the segment of the first sequence comprises:
retrieving results of simulations of levels of performance achieved by sensors on the segment of the first sequence; and
determining the maximum speed based on the retrieved results.