Method for determining self-driving vehicle behavior models, a self-driving vehicle, and a method of navigating a self-driving vehicle

A follower vehicle, comprising:

• a body;
• a drive system configured to navigate the body to follow a leader;
• a computer processor and computer storage device;
• and
• a behavior model executable by the processor to cause the vehicle to cooperatively navigate at least one structural element with the leader, wherein the behavioral model implemented by the follower vehicle includes follower vehicle stops, starts, pauses and movements in relation to, but different from, modeled human leader stops, starts, pauses and movements to negotiate each of the least one structural element.

A method of navigating a follower vehicle through at least one structural element, comprising:

• providing at least one stored behavior model that embodies, for each of a plurality of defined structural elements, human leader behaviors and robot follower behaviors defining actions of the follower vehicle in response to actions of the leader related to the at least one structural element;
• and
• using at least one processor in combination with at least one sensor of the follower vehicle:
• recognizing an encountered structural element and retrieving a behavioral model associated with the encountered structural element;
• tracking the behavior of a leader with respect to the encountered structural element;
• and
• executing the behavior model to cause the vehicle to navigate the encountered structural element with the leader, including controlling the follower vehicle stops, starts, pauses and movements in relation to, but different from, modeled human leader stops, starts, pauses and movements to negotiate the encountered structural element.