The enclosed application discloses an apparatus for removing snow from a predefined area of ground, said apparatus being configured to follow a pre-set pattern of fixed markers on or under the predefined area of ground. By dispensing with the need for GPS guidance, for complex and expensive circuitry and software, for melting of large quantities of snow which can then ref reeze into ice, and for potentially dangerous spinning augers, the apparatus allows users to clear snow from a driveway, road or other useful surface without constant attention to steering or personal exposure to the elements.

In a traveling apparatus, multiple first detectors and multiple second detectors are arrayed in an intersectant direction intersecting a travel direction where a vehicle body travels. The second detectors are separated in the travel direction from the first detectors. The first detectors and the second detectors detect a guide extending on a road surface. A first interval between two first detectors adjacent to each other in the intersectant direction is smaller than a second interval between two second detectors adjacent to each other in the intersectant direction.

The various embodiments described herein generally relate to systems and methods for operating one or more self-driving vehicles. In some embodiments, the self-driving vehicles may include a vehicle processor being operable to: control the vehicle to navigate an operating environment in an initial vehicle navigation mode; monitor for one or more trigger conditions indicating a possible change for the vehicle navigation mode; detect a trigger condition; determine a prospective vehicle navigation mode associated with the detected trigger condition; determine whether to change from the initial vehicle navigation mode to the prospective vehicle navigation mode; and in response to determining to change from the initial vehicle navigation mode to the prospective vehicle navigation mode, adjust one or more vehicle attributes corresponding to the prospective vehicle navigation mode, otherwise continue to operate the vehicle in the initial vehicle navigation mode.