Safely navigating crosswalks

A system comprising one or more computing devices, having one or more processors, the one or more computing devices configured to:

• identify that a first vehicle is approaching a crosswalk;
• generate a set of samples corresponding to locations in the crosswalk;
• periodically receive sensor data;
• for each given sample of the set of samples:
• set a probability value to an initial value, wherein the probability value indicates a probability that the given sample is occluded, and
• as the first vehicle approaches the crosswalk, periodically adjust probability value for the given sample based on the periodically received sensor data;
• determine that an updated probability value for a particular sample of the set of samples has met a threshold value;
• and
• change the speed of the first vehicle based on the determination that a sample of the set of samples has met the threshold value.

A non-transitory, tangible machine readable medium on which instructions are stored, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:

• identifying that a first vehicle is approaching a crosswalk;
• generating a set of samples corresponding to locations in the crosswalk;
• periodically receiving sensor data;
• for each given sample of the set of samples:
• setting a probability value to an initial value, wherein the probability value indicates a probability that the given sample is occluded, and
• as the first vehicle approaches the crosswalk, periodically adjusting probability value for the given sample based on the periodically received sensor data;
• determining that an updated probability value for a particular sample of the set of samples has met a threshold value;
• and
• changing the speed of the first vehicle based on the determination that a sample of the set of samples has met the threshold value.