Abstract: An electro-mechanical aerodynamic apparatus includes a support structure that couples to a tongue of a trailer in a position between a tow vehicle and a body of the trailer, an extendible housing that couples to the support structure and extendibly moves to a plurality of aerodynamic states including an extended state and a contracted state, and a drive assembly coupled to the support structure and the extendible housing that, when actuated, moves the extendible housing into one of the plurality of aerodynamic states.

Abstract: A method of implementing an autonomous electric-powered trailer during a towing operation includes sourcing, via the one or more computers, one or more streams of sensing data from one or more sensing sources during a towing event involving an autonomous electric-powered (AEP) trailer and a towing entity, generating, via a towing-assist control algorithm, a plurality of towing-assistance instructions based on an input of the one or more streams of sensing data; operating, via one or more electric motors, each wheel of the AEP trailer at a target propulsion based on the plurality of towing-assistance instructions, wherein the operating of the each wheel enables the AEP trailer to autonomously assist the towing entity during the towing event.

Abstract: A method of implementing an autonomous electric-powered trailer during a towing operation includes sourcing, via the one or more computers, one or more streams of sensing data from one or more sensing sources during a towing event involving an autonomous electric-powered (AEP) trailer and a towing entity, generating, via a towing-assist control algorithm, a plurality of towing-assistance instructions based on an input of the one or more streams of sensing data; operating, via one or more electric motors, each wheel of the AEP trailer at a target propulsion based on the plurality of towing-assistance instructions, wherein the operating of the each wheel enables the AEP trailer to autonomously assist the towing entity during the towing event.

Abstract: A method for autonomously tethering an autonomous electric powered trailer to a tethering partner includes identifying a target tethering partner for the autonomous electric powered (AEP) trailer, detecting a likely n-dimensional position of a tethering nexus of the target tethering partner based on an assessment of sensor data; computing, a set of automated tethering instructions based on the likely n-dimensional position of the tethering nexus; and autonomously tethering, via the one or more computers, a coupler of the AEP trailer to the tethering nexus based on executing the set of automated tethering instructions.