Safety Methodology

Validating real-world environments requires big data. Generalization and extrapolation rely heavily on the scale and quality of the training data set. Plus collects real-world road data globally from vehicles with our autonomous driving technology. Defined scenarios trigger automatic data upload for machine learning training, algorithm validation, and performance analysis. Performance metrics generated inform the Safety Case argumentation.

Plus integrates safety into its architecture, processes, and operations at all levels, and its system architecture prioritizes redundancy and fault management. Plus uses multi-modal data fusion for its perception stack, which fuses inputs from complementary technologies, and is tolerant to faults of any single sensor or sensor group. Additionally, each layer in the software stack has its own safety validation process to ensure overall safety.

Plus strategy is to prioritize safety by understanding the operational design domain (ODD), which is the geographic regions, environmental factors, and traffic scenarios where self-driving systems can safely operate. Plus applies a rigorous methodology to managing the ODD concept and monitors the health and activity of sensors, communication interfaces, power distribution, computing infrastructure, and the software executing on it. In the event of a failure or event outside the ODD, the system executes a minimal risk maneuver such as slowing down, pulling off the highway, or stopping in place to minimize risk for the vehicle and other road users.

Socially conscious driving refers to driving in a manner that not only prioritizes safety and adheres to legal requirements but also takes into account the impact of one's driving on others, the environment, and society as a whole. Underpinning our technology design is the belief that socially conscious driving not only considers the safety of autonomous vehicles, but all the surrounding road participants by driving in a socially acceptable manner. This will lead to a safer overall driving environment.