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.