Autonomous vehicle maneuvering based upon risk associated with occluded regions

A method performed by an autonomous vehicle (AV), the method comprising:

• generating, by a sensor system, a sensor signal, wherein the sensor signal is indicative of objects in an environment surrounding the AV;
• based upon the sensor signal, defining an occluded region, wherein the occluded region is a spatial region in the environment surrounding the AV within which the AV lacks visibility;
• upon defining the occluded region, and at a current point in time, inferring that an object is at a position within the occluded region and is travelling towards the AV;
• inferring that the object will begin to decelerate at a future point in time and prior to reaching the AV as a reaction to the AV becoming visible to the object;
• and
• performing a driving maneuver based upon the inferring that the object will begin to decelerate at the future point in time based on the reaction to the AV becoming visible to the object.

An autonomous vehicle (AV) comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprises instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:

• receiving a sensor signal generated by a sensor system of the AV;
• based upon the sensor signal, defining an occluded region, wherein the occluded region is a spatial region in an environment surrounding the AV within which the AV lacks visibility;
• upon defining the occluded region, and at a current point in time, inferring that an object is at a position within the occluded region and is travelling towards the AV;
• inferring that the object will begin to decelerate at a future point in time and prior to reaching the AV as a reaction to the AV becoming visible to the object;
• and
• controlling a mechanical system of the AV to cause the AV to perform a driving maneuver, wherein the AV is controlled based upon the inferring that the object will begin to decelerate at the future point in time based on the reaction to the AV becoming visible to the object.