December 2022 Software Release

The latest software release has rolled out to the driverless fleet: 

• Shipped TSEL V7 (planning model) that improved discomfort braking by 15%, driving more smoothly around bicyclists and when changing lanes.

• Improved behavior around bicyclists through more precise prediction of their behavior and finer temporal precision of object locations.

• Improved behavior around rear approaching vehicles and bicyclists by preserving their lateral space.

• Improved behavior around trams through >20% improvement in kinematic representation accuracy of these multi-car trains and articulated vehicles as well as improved yield behavior.

• 2% - 4% faster overall reaction time by streamlining the interface between our perception and prediction systems.

• Reduced trip interruptions by improving software stability by >3x, making remote advisor capabilities more robust at the boundary of our service area, enabling tighter turns in narrow gaps, and by improving system diagnostics.

• Improved recoverability from trip interruptions by greatly expanding advisor capabilities.

• Shipped STA-V (prediction model) that improves behavior on curved roads by improving prediction accuracy by 7% on curved roads and by 17% for high-speed cross-traffic, coupled with maneuver planning changes that result in smoother driving when turning, changing lanes and on curved roads.

• Shipped STA-Peds V12 (prediction model) that improves behavior around pedestrians near parked cars and those who appear at the last moment, improving prediction accuracy by 4% - 12% in applicable scenarios.

• Improved response to people falling or laying on the ground with corresponding prediction improvements.

• Shipped PD-v24 (updated object detection model) resulting in 83% less discomfort braking when roads are wet.

• Shipped channelization detection and response with improved nuanced planning and routing reasoning in scenes with multiple construction cone lines.

• Preparing for launch in Austin and Phoenix with improved routing (16% shorter trip times, 74% more accurate ETAs), improved pullover location selection, and expanded abilities with higher-speed roads.

• Various UX/UI improvements including audio messages, in-car display and app - like an improved, more natural sounding voice in the car and radio for different cities.