Path planning in autonomous driving environments

A path planning system for a vehicle, the path planning system comprising control circuitry configured to:

• obtain a risk map of a surrounding environment of the vehicle, wherein the risk map is based on an actuation capability of the vehicle and a location of free-space areas in the surrounding environment, the actuation capability including an uncertainty estimation for the actuation capability and the location of free-space areas comprising an uncertainty estimation for the estimated location of free-space areas;
• wherein the risk map comprises a risk parameter for each of a plurality of area segments comprised in the surrounding environment of the vehicle;
• obtain at least one candidate path for the vehicle;
• determine a total risk value for each candidate path based on the risk parameters of a set of area segments intersected by each candidate path;
• select a candidate path, of the at least one candidate path, fulfilling a risk value criterion;
• and
• generate, at an output, a first signal indicative of the selected candidate path.

A vehicle comprising:

• an Automated Driving System, ADS;
• a perception system comprising at least one sensor configured to monitor a surrounding environment of the ground vehicle;
• a vehicle control system comprising at least one sensor configured to monitor an actuation capability of the vehicle;
• a localization system configured to monitor a geographical map position of the ground vehicle;
• a path planning system for a vehicle, the path planning system comprising
• control circuitry configured to:
• obtain a risk map of a surrounding environment of the vehicle, wherein the risk map is based on an actuation capability of the vehicle and a location of free-space areas in the surrounding environment, the actuation capability including an uncertainty estimation for the actuation capability and the location of free-space areas comprising an uncertainty estimation for the estimated location of free-space areas;
• wherein the risk map comprises a risk parameter for each of a plurality of area segments comprised in the surrounding environment of the vehicle;
• obtain at least one candidate path for the vehicle;
• determine a total risk value for each candidate path based on the risk parameters of a set of area segments intersected by each candidate path;
• select a candidate path, of the at least one candidate path, fulfilling a risk value criterion;
• and
• generate, at an output, a first signal indicative of the selected candidate path.