Abstract: A head unit system for controlling motion of an object includes a secondary object sensor and a head unit device that includes a shear thickening fluid (STF) and a chamber configured to contain a portion of the STF. The chamber further includes an alternative reservoir and a piston compartment. The head unit system further includes a piston housed at least partially radially within the piston compartment. The piston includes a piston bypass to control flow of the STF between opposite sides of the piston. The chamber further includes a set of fluid flow sensors and a set of fluid manipulation emitters to control the flow of the STF to cause selection of one of a variety of shear rates for the STF within the chamber.

Abstract: A head unit device for controlling motion of an object includes shear thickening fluid (STF), an alternative STF (ASTF), and a chamber configured to contain a portion of the STF and the ASTF. The chamber further includes a piston compartment and an alternative reservoir. The head unit device further includes a reservoir injector configured within the chamber, and a piston housed at least partially radially within the piston compartment. The chamber further includes a set of fluid flow sensors and a set of fluid manipulation emitters to control the reservoir injector to adjust flow of the ASTF from the alternative reservoir to the piston compartment to cause selection of one of a variety of shear rates for a mixture of the STF and the STF within the piston compartment.

Abstract: A head unit device for controlling motion of an object includes a chamber filled with a shear thickening fluid (STF) and a piston. The piston is housed within the chamber and exerts pressure against the STF from a force applied to the piston from the object. The STF is configured to have a decreasing viscosity in response to a first range of shear rates and an increasing viscosity in response to a second range of shear rates. The piston includes at least one piston bypass between opposite sides of the piston that controls flow of the STF between the opposite sides of the piston to selectively react with a shear threshold effect of the first range of shear rates or the second range of shear rates.

Abstract: A method for execution by a computing entity includes interpreting a magnetic response from a set of magnetic field sensors to produce a piston velocity and a piston position of a piston associated with a head unit device. The head unit device includes a chamber filled with a shear thickening fluid (STF) that includes a multitude of magnetic nanoparticles. The method further includes determining a shear force based on the piston velocity and the piston position. The method further includes determining a desired response for the STF based on the shear force, the piston velocity, and the piston position. The method further includes generating a magnetic activation based on the desired response for the STF and outputting the magnetic activation to a set of magnetic field emitters positioned proximal to the chamber.

Abstract: A method includes identifying a first user device potentially associated with a biohazard and identifying a geographic area associated with the biohazard based on previous location information of the first user device. The method further includes identifying a another user device potentially associated with the biohazard based on the geographic area associated with the biohazard and previous location information of the other user device. The method further includes issuing a safety notification to the other user device, where the safety notification includes one or more of the geographic area associated with the biohazard, a safety status request, a safety status level of the first user device, a subset of the previous location information of the first user device, and a subset of the previous location information of the other user device.

Abstract: A method for execution by a computing entity includes interpreting a fluid flow response from fluid flow sensors to produce a piston velocity and a piston position of a piston associated with a head unit device. The head unit device includes a chamber filled with a shear thickening fluid (STF) and a variable partition positioned within the chamber between the piston and a closed end of the chamber to dynamically affect volume of the chamber based on activation of the variable partition. The method further includes determining a shear force based on the piston velocity and the piston position. The method further includes determining a desired response for the STF based on the shear force, the piston velocity, and the piston position. The method further includes activating the variable partition using the desired response for the STF to adjust the volume of the chamber.

Abstract: A head unit device for controlling motion of an object includes shear thickening fluid (STF) and a chamber configured to contain a portion of the STF. The chamber further includes a piston compartment and an auxiliary compartment. The head unit device further includes an auxiliary bypass configured within the chamber, and a piston housed at least partially radially within the piston compartment. The chamber further includes a set of fluid flow sensors and a set of fluid manipulation emitters to control the auxiliary bypass to adjust the STF flow between the piston compartment and the auxiliary compartment to cause selection of one of a first range of shear rates or a second range of shear rates for the STF within the piston compartment.

Abstract: A method includes identifying a first user device potentially associated with a biohazard and identifying a geographic area associated with the biohazard based on previous location information of the first user device. The method further includes identifying a another user device potentially associated with the biohazard based on the geographic area associated with the biohazard and previous location information of the other user device. The method further includes issuing a safety notification to the other user device, where the safety notification includes one or more of the geographic area associated with the biohazard, a safety status request, a safety status level of the first user device, a subset of the previous location information of the first user device, and a subset of the previous location information of the other user device.

Abstract: A method includes identifying a first user device potentially associated with a biohazard and identifying a geographic area associated with the biohazard based on previous location information of the first user device. The method further includes identifying a second user device potentially associated with the biohazard based on the geographic area associated with the biohazard and previous location information of the second user device. The method further includes issuing a safety notification to the second user device, where the safety notification includes one or more of the geographic area associated with the biohazard, a safety status request, a safety status level of the first user device, a subset of the previous location information of the first user device, and a subset of the previous location information of the second user device.

Abstract: A method begins with identifying a geographic area associated with an adverse condition and identifying a plurality of user devices of a social network potentially associated with the identified geographic area. The method continues with issuing a safety notification to the plurality of user devices. The method continues with receiving a first safety status response from a first user device and a second safety status response from a second user device, where the responses include location information of a first and second safe location. The method continues with issuing evacuation information to at least some of the plurality of user devices based on the location information of the first and second safe locations.

Abstract: A method includes identifying a first user device potentially associated with a biohazard and identifying a geographic area associated with the biohazard based on previous location information of the first user device. The method further includes identifying a second user device potentially associated with the biohazard based on the geographic area associated with the biohazard and previous location information of the second user device. The method further includes issuing a safety notification to the second user device, where the safety notification includes one or more of the geographic area associated with the biohazard, a safety status request, a safety status level of the first user device, a subset of the previous location information of the first user device, and a subset of the previous location information of the second user device.

Abstract: A method begins by a processing module identifying a geographic area of an adverse condition and identifying a user device of a plurality of user devices potentially associated with the identified geographic area. The method continues with the processing module issuing a safety notification to the user device, where the safety notification includes one or more of the identified geographic area and a safety status request. The method continues with the processing module receiving, from the user device, a safety status response, where the safety status response includes at least one of location information generated by the user device and a safety status level generated by the user device. The method continues with the processing module indicating the safety status level.

Abstract: A method begins with identifying a geographic area associated with an adverse condition and identifying a plurality of user devices of a social network potentially associated with the identified geographic area. The method continues with issuing a safety notification to the plurality of user devices. The method continues with receiving a first safety status response from a first user device and a second safety status response from a second user device, where the responses include location information of a first and second safe location. The method continues with issuing evacuation information to at least some of the plurality of user devices based on the location information of the first and second safe locations.

Abstract: A method begins by a processing module identifying a geographic area of an adverse condition and identifying a user device of a plurality of user devices potentially associated with the identified geographic area. The method continues with the processing module issuing a safety notification to the user device, where the safety notification includes one or more of the identified geographic area and a safety status request. The method continues with the processing module receiving, from the user device, a safety status response, where the safety status response includes location information associated with a safe location. The method continues with the processing module indicating the location information to at least some of the plurality of user devices.

Abstract: A method begins by a processing module identifying a geographic area of an adverse condition and identifying a user device of a plurality of user devices potentially associated with the identified geographic area. The method continues with the processing module issuing a safety notification to the user device, where the safety notification includes one or more of the identified geographic area and a safety status request. The method continues with the processing module receiving, from the user device, a safety status response, where the safety status response includes location information associated with a safe location. The method continues with the processing module indicating the location information to at least some of the plurality of user devices.

Abstract: A method begins by a processing module identifying a geographic area of an adverse condition and identifying a user device of a plurality of user devices potentially associated with the identified geographic area. The method continues with the processing module issuing a safety notification to the user device, where the safety notification includes one or more of the identified geographic area and a safety status request. The method continues with the processing module receiving, from the user device, a safety status response, where the safety status response includes at least one of location information generated by the user device and a safety status level generated by the user device. The method continues with the processing module indicating the safety status level.

Abstract: A method begins by a processing module of a social network identifying an affected area of an adverse event and identifying a user device of a plurality of user devices of the social network potentially associated with the affected area of the adverse event. The method continues with the processing module issuing a safety notification to the user device, where the safety notification includes one or more of the affected area of the adverse event and a safety status request. The method continues with the processing module receiving, from the user device, a safety status response, where the safety status response includes at least one of location information generated by the user device and a safety status level generated by the user device. The method continues with the processing module indicating the safety status level.

Abstract: A method begins by a processing module of a social network identifying an affected area of an adverse event and identifying a user device of a plurality of user devices of the social network potentially associated with the affected area of the adverse event. The method continues with the processing module issuing a safety notification to the user device, where the safety notification includes one or more of the affected area of the adverse event and a safety status request. The method continues with the processing module receiving, from the user device, a safety status response, where the safety status response includes at least one of location information generated by the user device and a safety status level generated by the user device. The method continues with the processing module indicating the safety status level.

Abstract: A method begins by a processing module obtaining a set of identifiers (IDs) corresponding to a set of user devices, wherein each user device of the set of user devices is associated with a corresponding safety status level. For each identifier (ID) of the set of IDs, the method continues with the processing module generating a safety status request that includes the ID, outputting the safety status request to a user device of the set of user devices that corresponds to the ID, receiving a safety status response of a set of safety status responses, wherein the safety status response includes a corresponding safety status level of one user device of the set of user devices, and indicating the safety status level of the safety status response when an ID of the safety status response compares favorably to at least one ID of the set of IDs.

Abstract: A method begins by a processing module receiving a safety status request for a safety status level associated with a user device and determining whether to generate a safety status response. When generating a safety status response, the method continues with the processing module obtaining the safety status level associated with the user device and determining whether to include location information in the safety status response. When including the location information, the method continues with the processing module obtaining location coordinates corresponding to the user device, obtaining street address location information based on the location coordinates, generating the location information based on the location coordinates and the street address location information, generating the safety status response to include the safety status level and the location information, and outputting the safety status response to a requesting entity.