Systems, program products, and methods for controlling autonomous vehicles traveling within environments

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums for controlling an autonomous vehicle traveling within an environment, comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed, cause a system to:

• calculate a drivable space consumption (DSC) ratio for the autonomous vehicle traveling within the environment based on an anticipated spatial occupancy for the autonomous vehicle within the environment and a drivable space within the environment, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the system to compute the drivable space within the environment by:
• outlining a measurable area of the environment based on driving characteristics of the autonomous vehicle and operational parameters of one or more sensors disposed on the autonomous vehicle, the measurable area of the environment including:
• a road including at least one driving lane and a shoulder positioned adjacent to the at least one driving lane, and
• a road verge positioned adjacent to the shoulder of the road;
• detecting, via the one or more sensors, at least one object disposed within the measurable area of the environment;
• determining an object spatial occupancy for the at least one object disposed within the measurable area of the environment, based on object data for the at least one object detected by the one or more sensors;
• and
• defining the drivable space within the environment as the outlined, measurable area of the environment excluding the determined object spatial occupancy for the at least one object disposed within the measurable area of the environment;
• determine a risk level for the autonomous vehicle based on the calculated DSC ratio;
• and
• adjust the driving characteristics for the autonomous vehicle traveling in the environment in response to the determined risk level for the autonomous vehicle including a high-risk driving condition.

A computer-implemented method for controlling an autonomous vehicle traveling within an environment, the method comprising:

• calculating a drivable space consumption (DSC) ratio for the autonomous vehicle traveling within the environment based on an anticipated spatial occupancy for the autonomous vehicle within the environment and a drivable space within the environment;
• determining a risk level for the autonomous vehicle based on the calculated DSC ratio;
• and
• adjusting driving characteristics for the autonomous vehicle traveling in the environment in response to the determined risk level for the autonomous vehicle including a high-risk driving condition,
• wherein determining the risk level further comprises:
• prior to adjusting the driving characteristics of the autonomous vehicle, determining a duration of time in which the determined risk level for the autonomous vehicle includes the high-risk driving condition;
• comparing the determined duration of time to a high-risk time threshold;
• maintaining the driving characteristics of the autonomous vehicle traveling in the environment in response to the determined duration of time being less than the high-risk time threshold;
• and
• adjusting the driving characteristics of the autonomous vehicle in response to the determined duration of time being equal to or greater than the high-risk time threshold.