Abstract: Systems, vehicles, and methods for seatbelt assistance. A system may include a sensor. The sensor may be configured to detect a physical property of a user sitting on a seat. The system may further include a motor. The motor may be configured to extend a seatbelt part towards a body center of the user. The system may further include an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU may be coupled to the sensor and the motor. The ECU may be configured to receive the detected physical property of the user. The ECU may be further configured to prompt the motor to extend the seatbelt part towards the body center of the user based on the detected physical property of the user.

Abstract: A vehicle is provided that includes a battery management system with an energy storage device configured to power the vehicle. The energy storage device includes a battery module with: at least one sensor, a processor, and an optical transceiver. The battery management system also includes a control unit to control the energy storage device, and a control unit optical transceiver configured for bidirectional free-space optical communication with the battery module optical transceiver via a free-space optical communication link. The battery module processor is configured to receive sensor readings and transmit them to the control unit via the free-space optical communication link. Based on the sensor readings, the control unit sends commands to the battery module processor via the free-space optical communication link.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving locating favorable entrances. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring sensor data about a parking facility entrance from at least one vehicle sensor, processing the sensor data into characteristics about the parking facility entrance, storing the characteristics about the parking facility entrance in a map that includes a location of the parking facility entrance, and providing a recommendation for a parking facility based, at least in part, on the map.

Abstract: The disclosure generally includes systems and methods of generating a preferred personalized adaptive cruise control (P-ACC) mode of operation. The method includes capturing vehicle data using one or more internal and external vehicle sensors, and adjusting one or more P-ACC mode of operation parameters, based on captured vehicle data, before operation of the P-ACC mode of operation. Vehicle data includes internal vehicle data comprising a type of passenger and number of passengers in the vehicle.

Abstract: A method for managing moving agents is provided. The method comprises identifying goods agents, moving agents, and a plurality of requests within a predetermined area, generating a nodal graph including the moving agents, requests, and goods as vertices and edges defining relations between two vertices, obtaining actions for the moving agents by inputting the nodal graph to a reinforcement-learning based graphical neural network model stored in the moving agents, the reinforcement-learning based graphical neural network outputs the action for the moving agent in response to receiving the nodal graph, and instructing the moving agents to operate based on the actions to satisfy at least one of the plurality of requests.

Abstract: A cooling system that includes an expandable vapor chamber having a condenser side opposite an evaporator side, a condenser side wick coupled to a condenser side wall, an evaporator side wick coupled to an evaporator side wall, and a vapor core positioned between the evaporator side wick and the condenser side wick. The cooling system also includes a vapor pressure sensor communicatively coupled to a controller and a bellow actuator disposed in the vapor core and communicatively coupled to the controller. The bellow actuator is expandable based on a vapor pressure measurement of the vapor pressure sensor.

Abstract: A server includes a controller programmed to obtain information about a first perception model installed in a vehicle. The controller is further programmed to determine a value of updating the first perception model. The controller is further programmed to determine whether the first perception model needs to be updated to a second perception model based on the value of updating the first perception model. The controller is further programmed to transmit the second perception model to the vehicle in response to determining that the first perception model needs to be updated to the second perception model.

Abstract: Improved systems and methods are provided to implement anomaly detection. The method includes a FMCW LIDAR system that steers the laser beam of the LIDAR system via the wavelength tuning of a FMCW. The direction of the laser beam can be diffracted and controlled by the optical grating antennas which may diffract the laser beam as a function of wavelength. The method may also provide a LIDAR sensor with exhibits a controlled and wide-angle fill or output without the use of conventional mechanical mechanisms for scanning. The LIDAR system provides a cost-effective method to reduce scan dimensionality without sacrificing performance.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving the identification of available parking spaces by inferring when a vehicle is likely to depart. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to acquiring sensor data about a surrounding environment including at least one parked vehicle, extracting a feature from the sensor data about a context of the parked vehicle. The method includes analyzing the feature to determine a status of the vehicle in relation to whether the vehicle is remaining parked. The method includes providing the status to inform additional vehicles about an availability of a parking spot of the parked vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle includes an interior and an exterior, a surface within the interior, and a movable seat positioned over a first portion of the surface. The vehicle also includes a processor, a seat control system able to move the seat to expose the portion of the surface, and a light source able to illuminate a larger second portion of the surface which includes the first portion. The vehicle further includes a sensor to capture an image of the second portion of the surface, illuminated by the light source, and a cleaning element able to clean the second portion of the surface. The processor is configured to detect foreign material on the second portion of the surface, based on a comparison between the image and a stored image. The processor is also configured to activate the cleaning element, after detecting the foreign material on the second portion of the surface.

Abstract: Methods, vehicles, and systems described herein generate alerts based on a generated macro state level indicative of a traffic hazard risk in view of a set of parameters which may lead driver to make various sub-conscious decisions. The set of parameters can include at least one of a vehicle parameter, driver state parameter, or external parameter.

Abstract: A method for beaming sound waves includes introducing sound waves into a phononic crystal in a first direction. The phononic crystal has an array of C-shaped structures oriented so that a neck of each of the C-shaped structures is facing the same general direction. The sound waves are beamed in the direction in which the neck of each of the C-shaped structures is facing so that the sound waves are beamed from the phononic crystal in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

Abstract: A system includes a processor and a memory in communication with the processor that includes a path planning module. The path planning module causes the processor to determine a nominal driving path for a leading vehicle and a following vehicle that follows the leading vehicle and identify an obstacle in an external environment that prevents one of the leading vehicle and the following vehicle from utilizing the nominal driving path. In response to identifying the obstacle, the path planning module causes the processor to determine an alternate driving path for one of the leading vehicle and the following vehicle that avoids the obstacle and operate the leading vehicle and the following vehicle such that one of the leading vehicle and the following vehicle that is prevented from utilizing the nominal driving path due to the obstacle utilizes the alternate driving path and the other utilizes the nominal driving path.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for evaluating computational fluid dynamic simulation results. The method includes, based on a set of initial conditions, performing a first baseline run and a second baseline run of a simulated area or volume containing a vehicle body shape, and then performing a change run of the simulated area or volume containing a modified vehicle body shape, and performing the following actions within the simulated area or volume: plotting an iso line of the first baseline run and a corresponding iso line of the second baseline run, plotting an iso line of the change run that corresponds to the iso line of the two baseline runs, and comparing whether the iso line of the change run falls between the iso lines of the two basline runs. If not, then the modification to the vehicle body shape may be considered significant.

Abstract: A thermal management system to cool one or more battery packs of a battery system may include a heat pipe arrangement that includes a plurality of heat pipes, having a planar configuration, in thermal contact with the one or more battery packs to draw heat therefrom, and a heat sink arrangement that includes a plurality of heat sinks, in thermal contact with two or more edges of the heat pipe arrangement, to dissipate heat away from the heat pipe arrangement.

Abstract: A system for controlling a function of a vehicle by activation of a vehicle button includes a vehicle component configured to receive a signal and to perform an electrical or mechanical function in response to receiving the signal. The system further includes a physical structure located on an exterior of the vehicle and having an integrated button such that at least one of manual actuation of or physical proximity to the physical structure initiates a button selection event. The system further includes an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the vehicle component and to the integrated button and configured to identify the button selection event and to transmit the signal to the vehicle component in response to identifying the button selection event to cause the vehicle component to perform the electrical or mechanical function.

Abstract: Based on a model and an identity of an operator of a vehicle, a setting for a cruise control to maintain a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle can be determined. The model can be based on historical distances maintained by the operator. The model can also be based on information about an environment in which the vehicle is operating or information about a state of the operator. The identity can be received from an interface configured to receive information associated with the identity, a cloud computing platform, or a biometric system configured to determine the identity. The cruise control can be caused to operate according to the setting. A rate of energy consumption by the vehicle when the vehicle is controlled by the cruise control can be less than the rate of energy consumption when the vehicle lacks being controlled by the cruise control.

Abstract: Methods and systems may provide for technology to detect an unbalanced degradation among a plurality of fuel cells in an automotive system and apply an unbalanced control across the plurality of fuel cells based on the unbalanced degradation. In one example, the unbalanced control balances the degradation among the plurality of fuel cells.

Abstract: An appendage pressurization device includes an appendage strap and one or more artificial muscles communicatively coupled to a controller. Each artificial muscle includes a housing having an electrode region, an expandable fluid region, a dielectric fluid housed within the housing, and an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing. The electrode pair includes a first electrode fixed to a first surface of the housing and a second electrode fixed to a second surface of the housing, wherein the electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state. Actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region. A pressure sensor is communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the pressure sensor outputs a current pressure value to the controller and actuation of the electrode pair is based on the current pressure value.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and vehicles for correcting driving behavior of a driver of a vehicle are provided. The systems include a controller programmed to identify a repetitive movement pattern of a driver of a vehicle at a predetermined location based on accumulated driving data of the vehicle, implement digital twin simulation of the vehicle using the repetitive movement pattern and the digital twin simulation of another object to identify a potential conflict between the vehicle and the another object, and inform the driver of the vehicle about predetermined driving behavior in response to identifying the potential conflict.