Abstract: A drone includes a drone chassis, a plurality of motors attached to the drone chassis, and a plurality of propellers coupled to the plurality of motors, the plurality of propellers extending above the drone chassis. A net assembly is mounted to the drone chassis. The net assembly extends above the plurality of propellers. The net assembly includes a frame and one or more portions of netting.

Abstract: A prediction device includes a lane information obtaining unit, an estimating unit, and a predicting unit. The observation-value-obtaining unit obtains an observation value of mobile object' movement. The lane information obtaining unit obtains lane information regarding lanes within a threshold distance of the mobile object. Based on the observation value and the lane information, the estimating unit estimates temporal change volume and likelihood information. The predicting unit identifies target lanes based on the likelihood information, and for the identified target lanes, based on current-state information indicating one or more states of the mobile object indicated by the observation value obtained at the reference time and based on the temporal change volume, calculates predicted-state information indicating one or more states of the mobile object after the reference time when the mobile object moves to the target lane.

Abstract: An example of a drone includes a drone chassis extending along a plane, a plurality of motors attached to the drone chassis and a plurality of propellers coupled to the plurality of motors. The drone includes net assembly mounted to the drone chassis. The net assembly includes a net enclosure rotatably mounted such that an outward facing opening of the enclosure is rotatable about an axis of rotation that is parallel to the drone chassis.

Abstract: A UAV capable of sampling a hazardous body of water and a method of using the same. An electronic controller of the attached apparatus receives a first instruction to lower a sampling device at a specified rate into the body of water. The sampling device is connected to the apparatus via a line, and the sampling device is lowered by unspooling the line from a reel. The sampling device is lowered at the specified rate into the body of water based on the instruction and is retrieved from the body of water. A line-cutting device can cut the line should the sampling device get caught up in an obstruction.

Abstract: An example method for determining a mobile device position and orientation is provided. The method may include capturing a two-dimensional image of a surface including at least four markers, and determining a unit direction vector for each of the at least four markers based on an association between a pixel location of each of the at least four markers in the two-dimensional image. The method may further include determining apex angles between each pair of the unit direction vectors, and determining marker distances from the imaging sensor to each of the at least four markers via a first iterative process based on the apex angles. Additionally, the method may include determining the mobile device position with respect to the coordinate frame via a second iterative process based on the marker distances, the apex angles, and the coordinates of each of the at least four markers.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a memory to store an observed trajectory of a pedestrian, the observed trajectory comprising a plurality of observed locations of the pedestrian over a first plurality of timesteps; and a processor to generate a predicted trajectory of the pedestrian, the predicted trajectory comprising a plurality of predicted locations of the pedestrian over the first plurality of timesteps and over a second plurality of timesteps occurring after the first plurality of timesteps; determine a likelihood of the predicted trajectory based on a comparison of the plurality of predicted locations of the pedestrian over the first plurality of timesteps and the plurality of observed locations of the pedestrian over the first plurality of timesteps; and responsive to the determined likelihood of the predicted trajectory, provide information associated with the predicted trajectory to a vehicle to warn the vehicle of a potential collision with the pedestrian.

Abstract: In one implementation, a method activates an unmanned aircraft inside a vehicle to capture images of the vehicle interior. The method accesses a flight path for the unmanned aircraft and receives data associated with the vehicle's current movement. The method adjusts the flight path of the unmanned aircraft to compensate for the vehicle's current movement.

Abstract: A system for controlling at least two unmanned aerial vehicles in a flight formation, wherein each aerial vehicle has a flight control unit for controlling the flight path of the aerial vehicle and a camera that may be rotated by an orientation means about one axis, wherein in the system there is provided a flight formation control unit for the wireless communication with the aerial vehicles. The flight formation control unit is configured to control the flight control units and the orientation means during a recording of a moving object that will be filmed so that a spatial arrangement of the aerial vehicles in relation to the object and the orientation of the optical axis of each camera in relation to the object and/or in relation to the orientation(s) of the optical axis/axes of the other camera(s) is substantially maintained and optionally adjusted substantially in real time.

Abstract: An in-vehicle device is mounted on a vehicle capable of automated driving, and comprises an incident detection processing unit which acquires vehicle information representing a control state of the vehicle, and detects an incident that occurred in the vehicle based on the vehicle information.

Abstract: A method for controlling an unmanned vehicle includes: acquiring unmanned vehicle monitoring information of the unmanned vehicle when it is determined that a course of the unmanned vehicle will be out of control; determining a safety level corresponding to the unmanned monitoring information according to a predefined correspondence between unmanned vehicle monitoring information and a safety level; and controlling, according to the safety level corresponding to the unmanned monitoring information, the unmanned vehicle to drive. Thus, upon determining that the unmanned vehicle has gone beyond a boundary of the autopilot, the problem is identified that the unmanned vehicle will encounter a danger in driving. Then, the autopilot process of the unmanned vehicle is demoted according to the severity of the danger, e.g., decelerated or adjusted in its direction, to avoid safety hazards.

Abstract: The present invention provides a drone (unmanned aerial vehicle) capable of photographing a base part of the stem and a side of the leaf of the field crops for evaluating their growth status. A camera is positioned on the unmanned aerial vehicle such that the camera's field of view is directed backward with respect to the direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The camera captures an image of the crop temporarily knocked down by the downdraft created by the rotor of the drone, which exposes the base part of the stem and the side of the leaf to the sky. Optionally, the depression angle of the camera is automatically adjusted depending on the flight speed, wind force, and wind direction. Optionally, the camera body is automatically rotated to be directed to backward when the drone changes flying directions.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an automatic-driving vehicle includes a load state detecting unit and a collision preventing unit. The load state detecting unit detects a load state of the other vehicle that is present in a periphery of the automatic-driving vehicle. The collision preventing unit performs a collision prevention process based on the load state detected by the load state detecting unit. The collision prevention process is a process for preventing, in advance, collision of an automatic-driving vehicle with a load that may fall onto a road from the other vehicle.

Abstract: An image capturing method and an image capturing apparatus are provided. An inspection region image of an inspection region is captured by a first image capturing device at a first time point. A control signal is received at a second time point after the first time point. A relative translation relationship and/or a relative rotation relationship of the first image capturing device at the first time point and a second image capturing device at a second time point are calculated. A first three-dimensional coordinate value of the local region relative to the first image capturing device is calculated and the first three-dimensional coordinate value is transformed to a second three-dimensional coordinate value relative to the second image capturing device according to the relative translation relationship and the relative rotation relationship. The second image capturing device is driven to rotate. A local region image of the local region is captured.

Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to determine, for a host vehicle operating in a first operation mode, a first operation mode transition location based on a time to transition the host vehicle from the first operation mode to a second operation mode, a current speed of the host vehicle, and a distance from the host vehicle to an operation mode transition boundary location, to determine a second operation mode transition location that is a specified distance from the first operation mode transition location, the specified distance based on the current host vehicle speed, to transition from the first operation mode to the second operation mode upon reaching the first operation mode transition location, and to transition from the second operation mode to the first operation mode when the second operation mode transition location is between a current location of the host vehicle and the operation mode transition boundary location.

Abstract: Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for remote safe driving. One exemplary method includes detecting an emergency situation, and in response to the detecting the emergency situation, switching operation of the vehicle to a low-power operation mode that comprises shutting down a subset of vehicular components, and periodically transmitting a location of the vehicle to a remote monitoring center. Another exemplary method includes selecting at least one of a set of vehicular driving actions, and transmitting, over a secure connection, the at least one of the set of vehicular driving actions to the vehicle, wherein the set of vehicular driving actions is generated based on a classification of driver behavior.

Abstract: An in-vehicle device is mounted on a vehicle capable of automated driving, and comprises an incident detection processing unit which acquires vehicle information representing a control state of the vehicle, and detects an incident that occurred in the vehicle based on the vehicle information.

Abstract: A passenger vehicle includes a vehicle body, drive and steering systems, and manual and autonomous control systems. The vehicle body defines a passenger compartment. The drive system propels the passenger vehicle. The steering system steers the passenger vehicle. The manual control system includes input devices to receive user inputs is configured to control the drive and steering system according to the user inputs when the passenger vehicle is operated in a manual drive mode. The autonomous control system includes a sensor for sensing an external condition and a controller that autonomously controls the drive and steering systems according to the external condition when the passenger vehicle is operated in an autonomous drive mode. The user input devices are movable between a first configuration to receive the user input by being physically manipulated by the user, and a second configuration in which the user input is not receivable.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a supervisory service of a parking area may send a light fidelity (Li-Fi) based advertisement indicative of an offer to send video streams of the parking area to an autonomous vehicle. The supervisory service may receive an acceptance of the offer by the autonomous vehicle that includes an identifier for the autonomous vehicle. The supervisory service may identify one or more video streams of the parking area as associated with the autonomous vehicle based in part on a location of the autonomous vehicle in the parking area. The supervisory service may annotate the one or more identified video streams with metadata regarding a feature of the parking area. The supervisory service may send the annotated one or more video streams to the autonomous vehicle, wherein the autonomous vehicle uses the metadata of the annotated one or more video streams to avoid the feature of the parking area.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of generating a path for an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) is disclosed. The method includes obtaining vehicle configuration of the ADV. The vehicle configuration includes a longitudinal state of the ADV and a lateral state of the ADV relative to a discretized point along a reference line. The method further includes estimating one or more boundaries for the lateral state of the ADV with respect to the longitudinal state of the ADV. The estimation of the boundaries includes obtaining vehicle parameters and sensor data of the ADV, using a vehicle kinematic model to estimate the boundaries based on the vehicle parameters and the sensor data, and outputting the estimated boundaries. The method further includes generating an optimal path to control the ADV based on the vehicle configuration and the estimated boundaries.

Abstract: A roof opening/closing system of a convertible vehicle includes an opening/closing device for opening/closing the roof of the convertible vehicle; and a controller for determining, with respect to at least one of the opening and closing operations by the opening/closing device, whether to enable or disable the operation; and a notifying device for notifying a user whether the operation is enabled or disabled as determined by the controller. For example, in the case where the burning protection is turned off, following the determination based on the condition relevant to burning protection, lift of prohibition of the roof operation is notified when other permitting conditions for the roof operation are fulfilled.