Vehicle control system, vehicle control method, and storage medium

A vehicle control method using a vehicle control device, the vehicle control method comprising:

• recognizing a surrounding of a vehicle, wherein the surrounding includes a plurality of pedestrians present in an advancement direction of the vehicle, on a first side in a first lateral direction in a road on which the vehicle is traveling, and walking in the advancement direction of the vehicle;
• and
• controlling an acceleration and steering of the vehicle based on the surrounding;
• wherein
• in response to recognizing that a first pedestrian included in the plurality of pedestrians being a nearest pedestrian closest to the vehicle and a second pedestrian included in the plurality of pedestrians being present immediately in an advancement direction of the first pedestrian and not being present within a reference distance from the first pedestrian, maintaining a first distance between the first pedestrian and the vehicle,
• in response to recognizing that the first pedestrian is walking at a first speed and the second pedestrian included in the plurality of pedestrians is walking at a second speed, wherein the second speed is lower than the first speed, and wherein the second pedestrian is present immediately in the advancement direction of the first pedestrian and within the reference distance from the first pedestrian, maintaining a second distance between the first pedestrian and the vehicle, wherein the second distance is longer than the first distance,
• in response to recognizing that the first pedestrian is walking at the first speed and the second pedestrian included in the plurality of pedestrians is walking at a third speed, wherein the third speed is greater than the first speed and the second pedestrian is present immediately in the advancement direction of the first pedestrian and within the reference distance from the first pedestrian, maintaining a third distance between the first pedestrian and the vehicle, wherein the third distance is shorter than the second distance, and
• based on the first speed and the second speed, determining a time when the first pedestrian overtakes the second pedestrian and moving the vehicle in a second lateral direction opposite to the first side based on the time.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a computer program to be executed by a computer to perform at least:

• recognize a surrounding of a vehicle, wherein the surrounding includes a plurality of pedestrians present in an advancement direction of the vehicle, on a first side in a first lateral direction in a road on which the vehicle is traveling, and walking in the advancement direction of the vehicle;
• and
• control an acceleration and steering of the vehicle based on the surrounding;
• wherein
• in response to recognizing that a first pedestrian included in the plurality of pedestrians being a nearest pedestrian closest to the vehicle and a second pedestrian included in the plurality of pedestrians being present immediately in an advancement direction of the first pedestrian and not being present within a reference distance from the first pedestrian, maintain a first distance between the first pedestrian and the vehicle,
• in response to recognizing that the first pedestrian is walking at a first speed and the second pedestrian included in the plurality of pedestrians is walking at a second speed, wherein the second speed is lower than the first speed, and wherein the second pedestrian is present immediately in the advancement direction of the first pedestrian and within the reference distance from the first pedestrian, maintain a second distance between the first pedestrian and the vehicle, wherein the second distance is longer than the first distance,
• in response to recognizing that the first pedestrian is walking at the first speed and the second pedestrian included in the plurality of pedestrians is walking at a third speed, wherein the third speed is greater than the first speed and the second pedestrian is present immediately in the advancement direction of the first pedestrian and within the reference distance from the first pedestrian, maintain a third distance between the first pedestrian and the vehicle, wherein the third distance is shorter than the second distance, and
• based on the first speed and the second speed, determine a time when the first pedestrian overtakes the third pedestrian and move the vehicle in a second lateral direction opposite to the first side based on the time.