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Despite the transformative impact of deep learning across multiple domains, the inherent opacity of these models has driven the development of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI). Among these efforts, Concept Bottleneck Models (CBMs) have emerged as a key approach to improve interpretability by leveraging high-level semantic information. However, CBMs, like other machine learning models, are susceptible to security threats, particularly backdoor attacks, which can covertly manipulate model behaviors. Understanding that the community has not yet studied the concept level backdoor attack of CBM, because of "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know.", we introduce CAT (Concept-level Backdoor ATtacks), a methodology that leverages the conceptual representations within CBMs to embed triggers during training, enabling controlled manipulation of model predictions at inference time. An enhanced attack pattern, CAT+, incorporates a correlation function to systematically select the most effective and stealthy concept triggers, thereby optimizing the attack's impact. Our comprehensive evaluation framework assesses both the attack success rate and stealthiness, demonstrating that CAT and CAT+ maintain high performance on clean data while achieving significant targeted effects on backdoored datasets. This work underscores the potential security risks associated with CBMs and provides a robust testing methodology for future security assessments.

Recent advancements in autonomous driving have seen a paradigm shift towards end-to-end learning paradigms, which map sensory inputs directly to driving actions, thereby enhancing the robustness and adaptability of autonomous vehicles. However, these models often sacrifice interpretability, posing significant challenges to trust, safety, and regulatory compliance. To address these issues, we introduce DRIVE -- Dependable Robust Interpretable Visionary Ensemble Framework in Autonomous Driving, a comprehensive framework designed to improve the dependability and stability of explanations in end-to-end unsupervised autonomous driving models. Our work specifically targets the inherent instability problems observed in the Driving through the Concept Gridlock (DCG) model, which undermine the trustworthiness of its explanations and decision-making processes. We define four key attributes of DRIVE: consistent interpretability, stable interpretability, consistent output, and stable output. These attributes collectively ensure that explanations remain reliable and robust across different scenarios and perturbations. Through extensive empirical evaluations, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework in enhancing the stability and dependability of explanations, thereby addressing the limitations of current models. Our contributions include an in-depth analysis of the dependability issues within the DCG model, a rigorous definition of DRIVE with its fundamental properties, a framework to implement DRIVE, and novel metrics for evaluating the dependability of concept-based explainable autonomous driving models. These advancements lay the groundwork for the development of more reliable and trusted autonomous driving systems, paving the way for their broader acceptance and deployment in real-world applications.

The primary goal of traffic accident anticipation is to foresee potential accidents in real time using dashcam videos, a task that is pivotal for enhancing the safety and reliability of autonomous driving technologies. In this study, we introduce an innovative framework, AccNet, which significantly advances the prediction capabilities beyond the current state-of-the-art (SOTA) 2D-based methods by incorporating monocular depth cues for sophisticated 3D scene modeling. Addressing the prevalent challenge of skewed data distribution in traffic accident datasets, we propose the Binary Adaptive Loss for Early Anticipation (BA-LEA). This novel loss function, together with a multi-task learning strategy, shifts the focus of the predictive model towards the critical moments preceding an accident. {We rigorously evaluate the performance of our framework on three benchmark datasets--Dashcam Accident Dataset (DAD), Car Crash Dataset (CCD), and AnAn Accident Detection (A3D), and DADA-2000 Dataset--demonstrating its superior predictive accuracy through key metrics such as Average Precision (AP) and mean Time-To-Accident (mTTA).

Accurately and promptly predicting accidents among surrounding traffic agents from camera footage is crucial for the safety of autonomous vehicles (AVs). This task presents substantial challenges stemming from the unpredictable nature of traffic accidents, their long-tail distribution, the intricacies of traffic scene dynamics, and the inherently constrained field of vision of onboard cameras. To address these challenges, this study introduces a novel accident anticipation framework for AVs, termed CRASH. It seamlessly integrates five components: object detector, feature extractor, object-aware module, context-aware module, and multi-layer fusion. Specifically, we develop the object-aware module to prioritize high-risk objects in complex and ambiguous environments by calculating the spatial-temporal relationships between traffic agents. In parallel, the context-aware is also devised to extend global visual information from the temporal to the frequency domain using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and capture fine-grained visual features of potential objects and broader context cues within traffic scenes. To capture a wider range of visual cues, we further propose a multi-layer fusion that dynamically computes the temporal dependencies between different scenes and iteratively updates the correlations between different visual features for accurate and timely accident prediction. Evaluated on real-world datasets--Dashcam Accident Dataset (DAD), Car Crash Dataset (CCD), and AnAn Accident Detection (A3D) datasets--our model surpasses existing top baselines in critical evaluation metrics like Average Precision (AP) and mean Time-To-Accident (mTTA). Importantly, its robustness and adaptability are particularly evident in challenging driving scenarios with missing or limited training data, demonstrating significant potential for application in real-world autonomous driving systems.

As autonomous driving systems increasingly become part of daily transportation, the ability to accurately anticipate and mitigate potential traffic accidents is paramount. Traditional accident anticipation models primarily utilizing dashcam videos are adept at predicting when an accident may occur but fall short in localizing the incident and identifying involved entities. Addressing this gap, this study introduces a novel framework that integrates Large Language Models (LLMs) to enhance predictive capabilities across multiple dimensions--what, when, and where accidents might occur. We develop an innovative chain-based attention mechanism that dynamically adjusts to prioritize high-risk elements within complex driving scenes. This mechanism is complemented by a three-stage model that processes outputs from smaller models into detailed multimodal inputs for LLMs, thus enabling a more nuanced understanding of traffic dynamics. Empirical validation on the DAD, CCD, and A3D datasets demonstrates superior performance in Average Precision (AP) and Mean Time-To-Accident (mTTA), establishing new benchmarks for accident prediction technology. Our approach not only advances the technological framework for autonomous driving safety but also enhances human-AI interaction, making predictive insights generated by autonomous systems more intuitive and actionable.

Accurately and safely predicting the trajectories of surrounding vehicles is essential for fully realizing autonomous driving (AD). This paper presents the Human-Like Trajectory Prediction model (HLTP++), which emulates human cognitive processes to improve trajectory prediction in AD. HLTP++ incorporates a novel teacher-student knowledge distillation framework. The "teacher" model equipped with an adaptive visual sector, mimics the dynamic allocation of attention human drivers exhibit based on factors like spatial orientation, proximity, and driving speed. On the other hand, the "student" model focuses on real-time interaction and human decision-making, drawing parallels to the human memory storage mechanism. Furthermore, we improve the model's efficiency by introducing a new Fourier Adaptive Spike Neural Network (FA-SNN), allowing for faster and more precise predictions with fewer parameters. Evaluated using the NGSIM, HighD, and MoCAD benchmarks, HLTP++ demonstrates superior performance compared to existing models, which reduces the predicted trajectory error with over 11% on the NGSIM dataset and 25% on the HighD datasets. Moreover, HLTP++ demonstrates strong adaptability in challenging environments with incomplete input data. This marks a significant stride in the journey towards fully AD systems., Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2402.19251

Trajectory prediction is a cornerstone in autonomous driving (AD), playing a critical role in enabling vehicles to navigate safely and efficiently in dynamic environments. To address this task, this paper presents a novel trajectory prediction model tailored for accuracy in the face of heterogeneous and uncertain traffic scenarios. At the heart of this model lies the Characterized Diffusion Module, an innovative module designed to simulate traffic scenarios with inherent uncertainty. This module enriches the predictive process by infusing it with detailed semantic information, thereby enhancing trajectory prediction accuracy. Complementing this, our Spatio-Temporal (ST) Interaction Module captures the nuanced effects of traffic scenarios on vehicle dynamics across both spatial and temporal dimensions with remarkable effectiveness. Demonstrated through exhaustive evaluations, our model sets a new standard in trajectory prediction, achieving state-of-the-art (SOTA) results on the Next Generation Simulation (NGSIM), Highway Drone (HighD), and Macao Connected Autonomous Driving (MoCAD) datasets across both short and extended temporal spans. This performance underscores the model's unparalleled adaptability and efficacy in navigating complex traffic scenarios, including highways, urban streets, and intersections., Comment: Accepted by IJCAI 2024

This paper introduces a trajectory prediction model tailored for autonomous driving, focusing on capturing complex interactions in dynamic traffic scenarios without reliance on high-definition maps. The model, termed MFTraj, harnesses historical trajectory data combined with a novel dynamic geometric graph-based behavior-aware module. At its core, an adaptive structure-aware interactive graph convolutional network captures both positional and behavioral features of road users, preserving spatial-temporal intricacies. Enhanced by a linear attention mechanism, the model achieves computational efficiency and reduced parameter overhead. Evaluations on the Argoverse, NGSIM, HighD, and MoCAD datasets underscore MFTraj's robustness and adaptability, outperforming numerous benchmarks even in data-challenged scenarios without the need for additional information such as HD maps or vectorized maps. Importantly, it maintains competitive performance even in scenarios with substantial missing data, on par with most existing state-of-the-art models. The results and methodology suggest a significant advancement in autonomous driving trajectory prediction, paving the way for safer and more efficient autonomous systems., Comment: Accepted by IJCAI 2024

As autonomous driving technology progresses, the need for precise trajectory prediction models becomes paramount. This paper introduces an innovative model that infuses cognitive insights into trajectory prediction, focusing on perceived safety and dynamic decision-making. Distinct from traditional approaches, our model excels in analyzing interactions and behavior patterns in mixed autonomy traffic scenarios. It represents a significant leap forward, achieving marked performance improvements on several key datasets. Specifically, it surpasses existing benchmarks with gains of 16.2% on the Next Generation Simulation (NGSIM), 27.4% on the Highway Drone (HighD), and 19.8% on the Macao Connected Autonomous Driving (MoCAD) dataset. Our proposed model shows exceptional proficiency in handling corner cases, essential for real-world applications. Moreover, its robustness is evident in scenarios with missing or limited data, outperforming most of the state-of-the-art baselines. This adaptability and resilience position our model as a viable tool for real-world autonomous driving systems, heralding a new standard in vehicle trajectory prediction for enhanced safety and efficiency., Comment: Accepted by IJCAI 2024

In the rapidly evolving landscape of autonomous driving, the capability to accurately predict future events and assess their implications is paramount for both safety and efficiency, critically aiding the decision-making process. World models have emerged as a transformative approach, enabling autonomous driving systems to synthesize and interpret vast amounts of sensor data, thereby predicting potential future scenarios and compensating for information gaps. This paper provides an initial review of the current state and prospective advancements of world models in autonomous driving, spanning their theoretical underpinnings, practical applications, and the ongoing research efforts aimed at overcoming existing limitations. Highlighting the significant role of world models in advancing autonomous driving technologies, this survey aspires to serve as a foundational reference for the research community, facilitating swift access to and comprehension of this burgeoning field, and inspiring continued innovation and exploration.

In autonomous vehicle (AV) technology, the ability to accurately predict the movements of surrounding vehicles is paramount for ensuring safety and operational efficiency. Incorporating human decision-making insights enables AVs to more effectively anticipate the potential actions of other vehicles, significantly improving prediction accuracy and responsiveness in dynamic environments. This paper introduces the Human-Like Trajectory Prediction (HLTP) model, which adopts a teacher-student knowledge distillation framework inspired by human cognitive processes. The HLTP model incorporates a sophisticated teacher-student knowledge distillation framework. The "teacher" model, equipped with an adaptive visual sector, mimics the visual processing of the human brain, particularly the functions of the occipital and temporal lobes. The "student" model focuses on real-time interaction and decision-making, drawing parallels to prefrontal and parietal cortex functions. This approach allows for dynamic adaptation to changing driving scenarios, capturing essential perceptual cues for accurate prediction. Evaluated using the Macao Connected and Autonomous Driving (MoCAD) dataset, along with the NGSIM and HighD benchmarks, HLTP demonstrates superior performance compared to existing models, particularly in challenging environments with incomplete data. The project page is available at Github.

In the burgeoning field of autonomous vehicles (AVs), trajectory prediction remains a formidable challenge, especially in mixed autonomy environments. Traditional approaches often rely on computational methods such as time-series analysis. Our research diverges significantly by adopting an interdisciplinary approach that integrates principles of human cognition and observational behavior into trajectory prediction models for AVs. We introduce a novel "adaptive visual sector" mechanism that mimics the dynamic allocation of attention human drivers exhibit based on factors like spatial orientation, proximity, and driving speed. Additionally, we develop a "dynamic traffic graph" using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Graph Attention Networks (GAT) to capture spatio-temporal dependencies among agents. Benchmark tests on the NGSIM, HighD, and MoCAD datasets reveal that our model (GAVA) outperforms state-of-the-art baselines by at least 15.2%, 19.4%, and 12.0%, respectively. Our findings underscore the potential of leveraging human cognition principles to enhance the proficiency and adaptability of trajectory prediction algorithms in AVs. The code for the proposed model is available at our Github.

The ability to accurately predict the trajectory of surrounding vehicles is a critical hurdle to overcome on the journey to fully autonomous vehicles. To address this challenge, we pioneer a novel behavior-aware trajectory prediction model (BAT) that incorporates insights and findings from traffic psychology, human behavior, and decision-making. Our model consists of behavior-aware, interaction-aware, priority-aware, and position-aware modules that perceive and understand the underlying interactions and account for uncertainty and variability in prediction, enabling higher-level learning and flexibility without rigid categorization of driving behavior. Importantly, this approach eliminates the need for manual labeling in the training process and addresses the challenges of non-continuous behavior labeling and the selection of appropriate time windows. We evaluate BAT's performance across the Next Generation Simulation (NGSIM), Highway Drone (HighD), Roundabout Drone (RounD), and Macao Connected Autonomous Driving (MoCAD) datasets, showcasing its superiority over prevailing state-of-the-art (SOTA) benchmarks in terms of prediction accuracy and efficiency. Remarkably, even when trained on reduced portions of the training data (25%), our model outperforms most of the baselines, demonstrating its robustness and efficiency in predicting vehicle trajectories, and the potential to reduce the amount of data required to train autonomous vehicles, especially in corner cases. In conclusion, the behavior-aware model represents a significant advancement in the development of autonomous vehicles capable of predicting trajectories with the same level of proficiency as human drivers. The project page is available at https://github.com/Petrichor625/BATraj-Behavior-aware-Model.

In the field of autonomous vehicles (AVs), accurately discerning commander intent and executing linguistic commands within a visual context presents a significant challenge. This paper introduces a sophisticated encoder-decoder framework, developed to address visual grounding in AVs.Our Context-Aware Visual Grounding (CAVG) model is an advanced system that integrates five core encoders-Text, Image, Context, and Cross-Modal-with a Multimodal decoder. This integration enables the CAVG model to adeptly capture contextual semantics and to learn human emotional features, augmented by state-of-the-art Large Language Models (LLMs) including GPT-4. The architecture of CAVG is reinforced by the implementation of multi-head cross-modal attention mechanisms and a Region-Specific Dynamic (RSD) layer for attention modulation. This architectural design enables the model to efficiently process and interpret a range of cross-modal inputs, yielding a comprehensive understanding of the correlation between verbal commands and corresponding visual scenes. Empirical evaluations on the Talk2Car dataset, a real-world benchmark, demonstrate that CAVG establishes new standards in prediction accuracy and operational efficiency. Notably, the model exhibits exceptional performance even with limited training data, ranging from 50% to 75% of the full dataset. This feature highlights its effectiveness and potential for deployment in practical AV applications. Moreover, CAVG has shown remarkable robustness and adaptability in challenging scenarios, including long-text command interpretation, low-light conditions, ambiguous command contexts, inclement weather conditions, and densely populated urban environments. The code for the proposed model is available at our Github.