| CPC B62D 5/0496 (2013.01) [B62D 5/0481 (2013.01)] | 15 Claims |
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1. A method for controlling a vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous driving mode, the method comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors of the vehicle, a set of environmental inputs, the set of environmental inputs including temperature information from different temperature sources;
receiving, by the one or more processors, initial steering information from a steering system of the vehicle;
obtaining, by the one or more processors, an initial rack position command by a motion control module of the vehicle;
determining, by the one or more processors based on the received set of environmental inputs, the received initial steering information and an initial rack position associated with the initial rack position command, a likelihood that a steering actuator of the steering system of the vehicle is blocked or likely to become blocked while operating in the autonomous driving mode;
upon determining that the likelihood exceeds a threshold likelihood, determining, by the one or more processors, whether a threshold amount of excitation has been applied to the steering system within a selected amount of time or a selected driving distance; and
when the threshold amount of excitation has not been applied, causing, by the one or more processors, an excitation profile to be applied to the steering system in order to modify the initial rack position.
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