[AutonomousVehicles] Argo AI helps self driving vehicles avoid cyclists

[Cornelius Butler]

Hi Everyone,
Self Driving Vehicle Technology company Argo AI has released guideliens on
how autonomous vehicles can avoid cyclists. The article link and text are
below.

Article Link:
https://www.automotivetestingtechnologyinternational.com/news/v2xv2v/argo-ai-releases-guidelines-for-autonomous-vehicle-interactions-with-cyclists.html

Article Text:

Argo AI releases guidelines for autonomous vehicle interactions with
cyclists
mm By LAWRENCE BUTCHER  December 8, 2021

Autonomous vehicle technology solutions provider Argo AI has released the
technical guidelines it applies to ensure safe interactions between
autonomous vehicles and cyclists, and encourages others to do the same. The
guidelines, created in collaboration with the League of American
Bicyclists, a US national cycling advocacy group, are intended as a
foundation for further innovation and improvement among companies
developing self-driving technology.

“Argo AI is focused on developing self-driving technology that makes cities
safer for everyone — in particular cyclists and other vulnerable road
users,” said Dr Peter Rander, president and co-founder of Argo AI. “These
technical guidelines deliver on our commitment to developing a self-driving
system that is trusted by cyclists and enhances the safety of the
communities in which we operate.”

According to NHTSA, cyclist traffic fatalities in the USA rose 5% in 2020
compared with 2019. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that
41,000 cyclists die in road traffic-related incidents every year.

“Argo AI and the League of American Bicyclists share a common goal to
improve the safety of streets for all road users,” said Ken McLeod, policy
director at the League. “We appreciate Argo’s proactive approach to
researching, developing and testing for the safety of people outside of
vehicles. Roads have gotten significantly less safe for people outside of
vehicles in the last decade, and by addressing interactions with bicyclists
now, Argo is demonstrating a commitment to the role of automated technology
in reversing that deadly trend.”

To understand concerns among cyclists when sharing the road, Argo AI says
it set out to collaborate and engage with the cycling community. The League
of American Bicyclists provided consultation to inform Argo AI of common
cyclist behaviors and typical interactions with vehicles. Together they
outlined six technical guidelines for the manner in which a self-driving
system should accurately detect cyclists, predict cyclist behavior, and
drive in a consistent way to effectively and safely share the road. The
guidelines are as follows:

1: Cyclists should be a distinct object class
Due to the unique behavior of cyclists that distinguish them from scooter
users or pedestrians, a self-driving system (or ‘SDS’) should designate
cyclists as a core object representation within its perception system in
order to detect cyclists accurately. By treating cyclists as a distinct
class and labeling a diverse set of bicycle imagery, a self-driving system
detects cyclists in a variety of positions and orientations, from a variety
of viewpoints, and at a variety of speeds. It should also account for the
different shapes and sizes of bikes—like recumbent bikes, bicycles with
trailers, electric bikes, and unicycles—as well as different types of
riders.

2: Typical cyclist behavior should be expected
An advanced understanding of potential cyclist patterns of movement is
necessary to best predict their intentions and prepare the self-driving
vehicle’s actions. A cyclist may lane split, yield at stop signs, walk a
bicycle, or make quick, deliberate lateral movements to avoid obstacles on
the road, like the sudden swinging open of a car door. An SDS should
utilize specialized, cyclist-specific motion forecasting models that
account for a variety of cyclist behaviors, so when the self-driving
vehicle encounters a cyclist, it generates multiple possible trajectories
capturing the potential options of a cyclist’s path, thus enabling the SDS
to better predict and respond to the cyclist’s actions.

3: Cycling infrastructure and local laws should be mapped
A self-driving system should use high-definition 3D maps that incorporate
details about cycling infrastructure, like where dedicated bike lanes are
located, and include all local and state cycling laws to ensure its
self-driving system is compliant. Accounting for bike infrastructure
enables the SDS to anticipate cyclists and to maintain a safe distance
between the self-driving vehicle and the bike lane. When driving alongside
a bike lane, the SDS will consider the higher potential for encountering a
cyclist and common cyclist behavior, like merging into traffic to avoid
parked cars blocking a bike lane, or treating a red light as a stop sign,
which is known as an “Idaho Stop” and is legal in some states.

4: An SDS should drive in a consistent and understandable way
Developers of self-driving technology should strive for the technology to
operate in a naturalistic way so that the intentions of autonomous vehicles
are clearly understood by other road users. In the presence of nearby
cyclists or when passing or driving behind cyclists, an SDS should target
conservative and appropriate speeds in accordance with local speed limits,
and margins that are equal to or greater than local laws, and only pass a
cyclist when it can maintain those margins and speeds for the entire
maneuver.

In situations where a cyclist encroaches on a self-driving vehicle — for
example when lane splitting between cars during stopped traffic — the
vehicle should minimize the use of actions which further reduce the margin
or risk unsettling the cyclist’s expectations. The SDS should also maintain
adequate following distances so that if a cyclist happens to fall, the
self-driving vehicle has sufficient opportunity to maneuver or brake.
Self-driving vehicles should provide clear indications of intentions,
including using turn signals and adjusting vehicle position in lane when
they are preparing to pass, merge lanes, or turn.

5: Prepare for uncertain situations and proactively slow down
The reality of the road is that sometimes other road users act
unpredictably. A self-driving system should account for uncertainty in
cyclists’ intent, direction and speed—for instance reducing vehicle speed
when a cyclist is traveling in the opposite direction of the vehicle in the
same lane. When there is uncertainty, the self-driving system should lower
the vehicle’s speed and, when possible, increase the margin of distance to
create more time and space between the self-driving vehicle and the cyclist
and drive in a naturalistic way.

6: Cyclist scenarios should be tested continuously
The key to developing safe and robust autonomy software is thorough
testing. Developers of self-driving technology should be committed to
continuous virtual and physical testing of its self-driving system with a
specific focus on cyclist safety in all phases of development.

Argo states that the development and publication of these guidelines are
intended for adoption as industry best practices promoting special
consideration of cyclist behavior and interactions. Argo and the League are
encouraging the guidelines to be used by all self-driving technology
developers to build trust in self-driving technology as testing and
deployments expand and to ensure self-driving systems share the road safely
and effectively with cyclists.

“The creation of these guidelines is part of Argo’s dedication to building
trust with community members and developing a self-driving system that
provides a level of comfort to cyclists, by behaving consistently and
safely,” concluded Dr Rander. “We encourage other autonomous vehicle
developers to adopt them as well to further build trust among vulnerable
road users.”
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