Systems and methods for adapting operating characteristics of a self-driving vehicle based on changes of slope

Abstract

Systems and method of adapting operating characteristics of a self-driving vehicle to a terrain change within a vehicle path characterized by a base plane. The method involves operating a processor at the self-driving vehicle to: detect the terrain change from sensor data collected by one or more sensors coupled to the self-driving vehicle and in communication with the processor; determine, from the sensor data, an absence of navigable terrain along the base plane of the vehicle path; in response to identifying the absence of navigable terrain: continue operation while monitoring for a transition from the base plane at a downward slope; and collect slope data related to the downward slope for characterizing the terrain change; adapt the operating characteristics of the self-driving vehicle in response to the terrain change to facilitate navigation of the self-driving vehicle when entering a terrain characterized with the downward slope.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.