Abstract: A vehicle includes a seat assembly includes a seat portion and a back portion connected to the seat portion. The back portion has an opening sized to receive a backpack that extends through both a front-facing surface and a rear-facing surface. A backpack is located in the opening in a stowed configuration. The backpack is accessible at the front-facing surface and the rear-facing surface and is removable from the opening.

Abstract: A back door assembly includes a door; a pair of hinges that rotatably couple the door to a frame of the vehicle, the pair of hinges define an axis of rotation about which the door is rotatable; and a pair of latching mechanisms configured to secure the door to the frame, the pair of latching mechanisms are spaced apart from the pair of hinges in a vehicle vertical direction when the door is in a closed position, the pair of latching mechanisms are aligned with the pair of hinges in the vehicle vertical direction when the door is in the closed position such that an axis extending through the pair of latching mechanisms is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the pair of hinges.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing panel assemblies is provided. The method includes, placing an outer surface of a panel on a mold. The panel includes a carbon fiber. The method further includes placing a channel on an inner surface of the panel. The channel includes a resin. The inner surface opposes the outer surface. The method further includes welding the channel onto the panel by heating the carbon fiber of the panel and placing a rib in the channel. The rib includes a carbon fiber. The method further include welding the rib onto the channel by heating the carbon fiber of the rib.

Abstract: A vehicle tailgate assembly includes a tailgate and a switch assembly operably connected to the tailgate. The switch assembly includes a switch structured to be actuatable by application of a load exceeding a predetermined threshold to the tailgate. The switch assembly is operably connected to a tailgate automatic opening/closing mechanism such that actuation of the switch controls operation of the mechanism to prevent execution of a command to automatically open the tailgate when the tailgate is in a fully closed condition.

Abstract: An artificial muscle device includes a plurality of intermuscular boards and a plurality of artificial muscles disposed between the intermuscular boards in an alternating pattern and communicatively coupled to a controller. Each of the one or more artificial muscles includes a housing comprising an electrode region and 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 including a first electrode and a second electrode. The electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region, expanding the expandable fluid region, thereby applying pressure to the intermuscular boards.

Abstract: A system for controlling a trailer brake output circuit includes an electronic control unit having one or more processors and one or more memory modules. The trailer brake output circuit is configured to output a trailer brake output signal. Machine readable instructions cause the electronic control unit to: receive a signal from a vehicle stability control system indicating that a vehicle stability control flag is set, generate the trailer brake output signal in response to the vehicle stability control flag being set such that the trailer brake output signal ramps up to a target value over a predefined period of time, maintain the trailer brake output signal at the target value while the vehicle stability control flag is set, and output the trailer brake output signal such that the trailer brake output signal ramps down from the target value when the vehicle stability control flag changes from set to not set.

Abstract: A dual side view display includes a waveguide with an inside transparent layer and an outside transparent layer spaced apart from and parallel to the inside transparent layer, and a plurality of inside view liquid crystal (LC) pixels and a plurality of outside view LC pixels disposed within the waveguide. The plurality of outside view LC pixels are disposed within the waveguide parallel to and in-plane with the plurality of inside view LC pixels. The plurality of inside LC pixels includes a plurality of outside blocking layers configured to block light scattered in the plurality of inside view LC pixels from propagating through the outside transparent layer. Also, the plurality of outside view LC pixels includes a plurality of inside blocking layers configured to block light scattered in the plurality of outside view LC pixels from propagating through the inside transparent layer.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a first fuel cell; a second fuel cell; a cathode configured to receive a positive charge from the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell; an anode disposed apart from the cathode and configured to receive a negative charge from the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell; a manifold enclosing the anode and the cathode; coolant disposed within the manifold and surrounding the cathode and the anode; and a seal disposed between the cathode and the anode so as to prevent the coolant from leaking into the first fuel cell, wherein the cathode includes a seal portion disposed adjacent to the seal and a remaining portion separated from the seal by the seal portion, and wherein the remaining portion of the cathode is configured to be non-parallel with the anode so as to reduce shunt current at the seal portion.

Abstract: Systems and methods for fast vehicular micro cloud formation are disclosed herein. In one example, a system includes a processor and a memory in communication with the processor and having instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to receive an identifier of the vehicle and determine if the identifier matches the information in stored metadata. If the identifier matches the information in the stored metadata, the vehicle is allowed to join the vehicular micro cloud without performing a standard onboarding procedure. Otherwise, a standard onboarding procedure is performed to allow the vehicle to join the vehicular micro cloud.

Abstract: Power electronics device assemblies, circuit board assemblies, and power electronics assemblies are disclosed. In one embodiment, a power electronics device assembly includes an S-cell including a first metal layer, a first graphite layer bonded to the first metal layer, an electrically insulating layer bonded to the first graphite layer, a second graphite layer bonded to the electrically insulating layer and a second metal layer bonded to the second graphite layer, the second metal layer comprising a surface and a recess provided within the surface. The power electronics device assembly further includes a power electronics device disposed within the recess of the surface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are apparatus for a system includes a main vehicle and a secondary vehicle configured to couple to the main vehicle. The secondary vehicle includes a wheel configured to move the secondary vehicle and a body coupled to the wheel. The body includes a first set of retractable bars. The first set of retractable bars are configured to extend into receivers of the main vehicle in a deactivated state. The first set of retractable bars are further configured to be disposed in the body in a retracted state. The first set of retractable bars are further configured to extend into a pod and lift the pod in an attached state.

Abstract: A system includes a processor and a memory in communication with the processor. The memory has instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate, based on an image of a roof of a multi-level parking structure, a roof map having at least one road segment and at least one parking space of the roof. The instructions further cause the processor to predict, based on the roof map, a lower level map having at least one road segment and at least one parking space of a lower level of the parking structure.

Abstract: A flexural wave absorber includes an L-shaped cantilever beam lossy acoustic black hole disposed on a surface of a mechanical structure and an L-shaped cantilever beam lossless acoustic black hole disposed on the surface and spaced apart from the L-shaped cantilever beam lossy acoustic black hole a predefined distance. The L-shaped cantilever beam lossy acoustic black hole and the L-shaped cantilever beam lossless acoustic black hole, in combination, are configured to asymmetrically absorb a plurality of different frequencies of flexural waves within at least a 2000 Hz frequency band acting on the mechanical structure. The L-shaped cantilever beam lossy acoustic black hole and the L-shaped cantilever beam lossless acoustic black hole can both include a projecting beam with an outer surface or an inner surface having power law profile.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a mud guard control system including a speed sensor configured to provide a signal indicative of speed to a controller. The controller is configured to instruct an actuator to move a mud guard from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration based on the signal from the speed sensor when the speed of the vehicle is below a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: Power electronics assemblies having embedded power electronics devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a power electronics assembly includes a circuit board assembly that includes a substrate that is electrically insulating and a power electronics device assembly embedded in the substrate. The power electronics device assembly includes an S-cell that includes an inner graphite layer, a metal layer encasing the inner graphite layer, and a first surface of the metal layer comprising a recess provided within the first surface. The power electronics device assembly further includes a power electronics device disposed within the recess of the first surface.

Abstract: A docking plate apparatus is provided for motorized floor conveyor vehicles, such as conveyance tuggers, that is particularly structured to provide tactile feedback at a determined stop position for improved docking and/or stopping placement. The docking plate apparatus has a structure and dimensions to ensure that the motorized floor conveyor vehicle is docked exactly in a determined stop position that is deemed most optimal for interaction with a delivery system. The docking plate apparatus can comprise body, which is a flat panel structure, and a docking aperture that is structured in a portion of the body. The docking aperture receiving at least one wheel of a motorized floor conveyor vehicle to dock the motorized vehicle in a determined stop position for interaction with the delivery system.

Abstract: An edge device for providing an HD map to a vehicle is provided. The edge device includes a controller programmed to: obtain a head pose of an occupant of a vehicle; obtain a location of the vehicle following an original route; analyze the head pose and the location of the vehicle to determine a potential route for the vehicle, the potential route being different from the original route, and transmit HD map information corresponding to the potential route to the vehicle in response to determining the potential route.

Abstract: A fuel cell (FC) assembly having a stack that includes a bipolar plate and a gas diffusion layer (GDL) composed of a microporous metal foam having embedded therein a plurality of discrete microchannels or a plurality of discrete microstructures.

Abstract: A vehicle bumper assembly includes an adaptive energy absorption module operatively connected to a vehicle bumper body. The adaptive energy absorption module includes a primary deformable impact absorber member defining a primary impact chamber having a shape that is structurally adaptive or otherwise conforms to an impact force received by the bumper body. A secondary deformable impact absorber member is arranged in the primary impact chamber and defines a secondary impact chamber containing a shear thickening fluid that exhibits a decreasing viscosity responsive to the impact force. A plurality of fluidically connected tertiary deformable impact absorber members are arranged in an array the primary impact chamber and defines a plurality of tertiary impact chambers containing a volume of fluid, and has a shape that is structurally adaptive to the impact force.

Abstract: Liftgate assemblies with accessory hooks are disclosed. A liftgate assembly includes a door assembly movable in a vehicle vertical direction to an open position. The door assembly includes an interior surface panel, at least one hook disposed on the interior surface panel, and a controller communicatively coupled to the door assembly. The controller is configured to determine a presence of an item suspended from the hook when the door assembly is in the open position, transmit an alert, and prevent the door assembly from closing.