Filtering of dynamic objects from vehicle generated map

An autonomous vehicle system for creating a map of static objects within an environment surrounding the autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:

• a controller processor configured to:
• obtain information indicative of vehicle movement from vehicle navigation system comprising at least one of a wheel speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, an inertial measurement unit or a global positioning system;
• obtain images of objects within the environment surrounding vehicle from a mono-camera mounted on the vehicle;
• determine a pose of the mono-camera in a local reference frame;
• create a depth map of the environment surrounding the vehicle based on images obtained from the mono-camera, the pose of the mono-camera and the information indicative of vehicle movement, the depth map associating a distance to the vehicle for each pixel in the images;
• create an image point cloud map of the environment surrounding the moving vehicle based on the depth map and based on the images obtained from the mono-camera mounted to the moving vehicle;
• create a radar point cloud map of object velocities with information from a radar sensor mounted on the vehicle and the information indicative of vehicle movement, wherein the radar point cloud map includes a plurality of points that are indicative of a relative velocity between the moving vehicle and the objects around the moving vehicle;
• create a fused map by combining the occupancy grid of the image point cloud map with the occupancy grid of the radar point cloud map, and remove any dynamic objects;
• and
• at least one of use the fused map to provide navigation for the vehicle or communicate the fused map to a vehicle driving control system of the vehicle for autonomously or semi-autonomously controlling the vehicle.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising stored instructions executable by a controller processor for creating a map of an environment surrounding a vehicle, the instructions comprising:

• instructions prompting a controller processor to obtain images including objects within the environment surrounding the vehicle from a mono-camera mounted on the vehicle;
• instructions prompting a controller processor to determine a pose of the mono-camera in a local reference frame;
• instructions prompting a controller processor to create a depth map of the environment surrounding the vehicle based on the images obtained from the mono-camera, on information indicative of the vehicle movement from a navigation system of the vehicle comprising at least one of a wheel speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a inertial measurement unit or a global positioning system, and on the pose of the mono-camera, the depth map associating a distance to the vehicle for each pixel in the images;
• instructions prompting a controller processor to create an image point cloud map of the environment surrounding the moving vehicle based on the depth map and based on the images obtained from the mono-camera mounted to the moving vehicle;
• instructions prompting the controller processor to create a radar point cloud map of object velocities with information from a radar sensor and the information indicative of vehicle movement, wherein the radar point cloud map includes a plurality of points that are indicative of a relative velocity between the moving vehicle and the objects around the moving vehicle;
• instructions prompting the controller processor to create an occupancy grid of the image point cloud map, and create an occupancy grid of the radar point cloud map;
• instructions prompting the controller processor to create a fused map by combining the occupancy grid of the image point cloud map with the occupancy grid of the radar point cloud map, and to remove any dynamic objects from the fused map;
• and
• instructions prompting the controller processor to at least one of use the fused map to provide navigation for the vehicle or communicate the fused map to a vehicle driving control system of the vehicle for autonomously or semi-autonomously controlling the vehicle.