Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for providing multi-trailer reverse assistance. In a multi-trailer reverse assistance system in an articulated transport system comprising a lead vehicle, an intermediate trailer, and a final trailer, the reverse assist system includes a controller. The controller is configured to: receive a view of an environment behind the final trailer; cause the view to be displayed in a display screen of a user interface device; receive, via a secondary steering device of the user interface device, a user intended direction of travel of the articulated transport system in reverse to direct the final trailer in a desired direction; continuously calculate controllable steering angles for directing the articulated transport system to direct the final trailer in the desired direction; and control the articulated transport system to direct the final trailer in the desired direction using the calculated controllable steering angles.

Abstract: A hood bumper for a vehicle having a hood including: a housing having a wall, a base, an internal chamber, and an opening to the internal chamber. The wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface. the interior surface defines the internal chamber. The hood bumper further including a biasing mechanism operably connected to the housing and a plunger operably connected to the biasing mechanism and configured to receive an exerted force from the hood. The hood bumper further including a bumper head operably connected to the housing and a support frame operably connecting the bumper head to the housing. The plunger is configured to first move into the bumper head to absorb an impact force to the hood, next the bumper head compresses to further absorb the impact force, and then the support frame collapses to even further absorb the impact force.

Abstract: A lifting system includes a top plate, a bottom plate and N pairs of hinged plates. The N pairs of hinged plates are connected by 2N pairs of hinges to N sides of the top plate and the bottom plate, where N is an integer greater than 2. A bladder is arranged between the top plate and the bottom plate and between inner edges of the N pairs of hinged plates.

Abstract: An automated driving system includes an object detection system. A neural network image encoder generates image embeddings associated with an image including an object. A neural network text encoder generates concept embeddings associated with each of a plurality of concepts. Each of the plurality of concepts is associated with one of at least two object classes. A confidence score module generates a confidence score for each of the plurality of concepts based on the image embeddings and the concept embeddings associated with the concept. An object class prediction module generates a predicted object class of the object based on an association between a set of concepts of the plurality of concepts having at least two of the highest values of the generated confidence scores and the one of the at least two object classes associated with a majority of the set of concepts.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for detecting one or more three-dimensional structures in a proximity of a vehicle at runtime includes generating, by a processor, a birds-eye-view (BEV) camera image of the proximity of the vehicle, the BEV camera image comprising two-dimensional coordinates of one or more structures in the proximity. The method further includes generating, by the processor, a BEV height image of the proximity of the vehicle, the BEV height image providing height of the one or more structures in the proximity. The method further includes detecting one or more edges of the three-dimensional structures based on the BEV camera image and the BEV height image. The method further includes generating models of the three-dimensional structures by plane-fitting based on the edges of the one or more three-dimensional structures. The method further includes reconfiguring a navigation system receiver based on the models of the three-dimensional structures.

Abstract: Presented are silicon and other anodes and methods for producing same. In one aspect of the disclosure, a pristine anode material is prelithiated to produce a prelithiated anode substrate. Precursors are combined, such as using a flow into a deposition chamber, to produce a target chemical formulation formed as a hydrophobic and hermetic protective coating over the prelithiated Si-anode substrate. The result is a protected anode substrate. A laser may thereafter be used for further processing of the protected the protected anode substrate to form an anode. In other embodiments, a silicon oxide anode, a graphite anode, or a silicon-graphite blended anode is used.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a modified binder for use in an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions. The modified binder includes one or more agglomerates of polytetrafluoroethylene nanoparticles, where each of the polytetrafluoroethylene nanoparticles includes a polytetrafluoroethylene core and a polymeric shell that is disposed on exposed surfaces of the core. The polymeric shell can include a polymer selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene oxide, polyglycidyl methacrylate, polyvinylidene difluoride, fluoride-hexafluoropropylene, polypropylene oxide, polyacrylonitrile, polymethacrylonitrile, polymethyl methacrylate, derivatives and co-polymers, and combinations thereof, and in certain instances, also a humidity tolerant lithium salt.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for detecting weather conditions at a LiDAR sensor level. In some aspects, a method includes calculating a reference probability mass function (PMF) of at least one field of a point cloud generated from reference scene responses received from a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor; calculating a current PMF for the at least one field of the point cloud generated from a current scene response received from the LiDAR sensor; determining a statistical difference between the reference PMF and the current PMF using a Kullbeck-Leibler (KL) divergence calculation; and responsive to the statistical difference satisfying a threshold for the at least one field, flagging an environmental change in the current scene response.

Abstract: Presented are intelligent vehicle systems for thermal event mitigation for enclosed vehicles, methods for making/using such systems, and vehicles equipped with such intelligent control systems. A method of operating a host vehicle includes a resident or remote vehicle controller verifying the host vehicle is stationary; if stationary, the controller detects a predicted onset or occurrence of a thermal event in at least one cell in the vehicle's battery system. Responsive to the detected thermal event, the controller calculates a vehicle parked in enclosed space (VPES) confidence value predictive of the host vehicle being at least partially enclosed, and determines if this VPES confidence value is greater than a preset minimum confidence level. Responsive to the detected thermal event and the VPES confidence value exceeding the minimum confidence level, the controller transmits a command signal to a resident vehicle subsystem to execute a vehicle control operation that mitigates the thermal event.

Abstract: A method for adjusting state of charge (SOC) limits aboard a motor vehicle having a propulsion battery pack includes receiving a pre-drive information set via a host computer and identifying, from the pre-drive information set, a probability that the motor vehicle is about to embark on a road trip. The road trip is a drive event in which the motor vehicle will travel outside of a predetermined area. The method further includes expanding the SOC limits of the propulsion battery pack when the motor vehicle is about to embark on the road trip, such that a total SOC window of the propulsion battery pack is increased for a duration of the road trip.

Abstract: A communication augmentation system includes a camera, a transceiver and a computer. The camera is operation to record an image of users. The transceiver is operational to receive inbound messages from wireless devices. The inbound messages include an input content. The computer is operational to store registrations of the users, determine user locations where the users are located in response to facial profiles relative to the image, determine device locations where the wireless devices are located based on the inbound messages, associate the wireless devices with the users based on the user locations and the device locations, determine destinations of the inbound messages based on a comparison of input content to the identifiers, and transfer the input content and the destinations to the transceiver. The transceiver is further operational to transmit the input content in a plurality of outbound messages to the wireless devices based on the destinations.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for locating a pair of components relative to one another using complex surfaces. One component has a complex surface, where the complex surface is smoothly contoured. Another component is shaped to be connected with the first component. A fixture locates the first component relative to the second component. The fixture includes a locator with a complex surface region shaped to mate with the complex surface of the one component to locate the fixture relative to that component. The fixture includes another locator to locate the fixture relative to the second component.

Abstract: A system and method for operating an electric vehicle. In another exemplary embodiment, a system for operating an electric vehicle is disclosed. The system includes a first motor and a transmission coupled to the first motor. The transmission is configured to shift gears when a speed of the electric vehicle crosses a shift threshold. The shift threshold is independent of a position of an acceleration pedal of the electrical vehicle.

Abstract: A holographic projection system includes a SLM that receives a light beam and generates a modulated beam projected at an eyebox, where: the modulated beam includes multiple versions of a test image; and the test image includes bright objects and transparent regions, which are selected dark areas of interest for measuring luminance. A control module runs a test to characterize contrast in each of multiple virtual image planes including: controlling the SLM to generate the modulated beam; measuring luminance levels of each of the versions of the test image displayed in the virtual image planes; calculating contrast ratios based on the luminance levels of each of the versions of the test image; determining whether the contrast ratios are within predetermined ranges of predetermined contrast ratios; and adjusting operation of the SLM in response to one of the contrast ratios not being within a corresponding one of the predetermined ranges.

Abstract: A display device include a first transparent layer, a second transparent layer and a spacer arranged between the first transparent layer and the second transparent layer to define a first region and a second region. A first plurality of electrodes are arranged on an inner surface of the first transparent layer in the first region. A plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) are connected to the first plurality of electrodes in the first region. A second plurality of electrodes are arranged on the inner surface of the first transparent layer in the second region. A third plurality of electrodes are arranged on the inner surface of the second transparent layer in the second region. Particles are arranged in the second region between the second plurality of electrodes and the third plurality of electrodes.