Systems and methods for vehicle offset navigation

At least one non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• access a plurality of images of a forward-facing view from a vehicle, the plurality of images corresponding to image data obtained by one or more cameras;
• determine from the plurality of images a first lane marking on a first side of the vehicle, and a second lane marking on a second side of the vehicle, the first and second lane markings for a lane of a roadway through which the vehicle can navigate, the second side opposite of the first side;
• navigate the vehicle on a first driving path between the first and second lane markings;
• determine from the plurality of images that an object located off the roadway and outside the first and second lane markings is on the first side or the second side of the vehicle, wherein the object is capable of being bypassed by the vehicle using the first driving path;
• determine, based on one or more characteristics of the object, a first distance from the first lane marking and a second distance from the second lane marking;
• and
• navigate the vehicle autonomously to travel over a second driving path that is offset from a center of the lane without leaving the lane, to cause the vehicle to increase a distance to the object and bypass the object using the second driving path, the second driving path being determined based on the first distance and the second distance.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for accessing a plurality of images of a forward-facing view from the vehicle, the plurality of images corresponding to image data obtained by one or more cameras;
• means for determining from the plurality of images a first lane marking on a first side of the vehicle, and a second lane marking on a second side of the vehicle, the first and second lane markings for a lane of a roadway through which the vehicle can navigate, the second side opposite of the first side;
• means for navigating the vehicle on a first driving path between the first and second lane markings;
• means for determining from the plurality of images that an object located off the roadway and outside the first and second lane markings is on the first side or the second side of the vehicle, wherein the object is capable of being bypassed by the vehicle using the first driving path;
• means for determining, based on one or more characteristics of the object, a first distance from the first lane marking and a second distance from the second lane marking;
• and
• means for navigating the vehicle autonomously to travel over a second driving path that is offset from a center of the lane without leaving the lane, to cause the vehicle to increase a distance to the object and bypass the object using the second driving path, the second driving path being determined based on the first distance and the second distance.