Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for providing guidance when reversing a vehicle towing a trailer. In one embodiment, a method includes: determining, by the processor, a change in vehicle pitch angle based on stored vehicle pitch angle data and current pitch angle data; when the change in vehicle pitch angle is greater than a threshold, determining, by the processor, new mirror position data based on stored mirror position data, the stored vehicle pitch angle data, and the current pitch angle data; and generating, by the processor, control signals to control a position of the mirror based on the new mirror position data.

Abstract: Approaches to utilizing contextual right-of-way decision making for autonomous vehicles are disclosed. An autonomous vehicle is operated in a road setting within an operating environment having other road users. The operation of the autonomous vehicle is based on safety constraints providing limits on operation of the autonomous vehicle. The presence of a selected other road user within the operating environment is detected. Potential trajectories for the autonomous vehicle within the operating environment are evaluated with respect to the other road user. The autonomous vehicle interacts with the other road user by generating vehicle control signals based on a machine learned model and within the one or more safety constraints. The machine learned model is based on a hierarchy of costs corresponding to characteristics of maneuvers by the autonomous vehicle.

Abstract: Architectures and techniques for near field beamforming are disclosed. RADAR waveform data is received from a radio frequency front end. Range and movement information for one or more objects is generated from the received RADAR waveform data. A spatial frequency representation of the received RADAR waveform data is calculated. The spatial frequency representation of the received RADAR waveform data is migrated to a spatial space representation using a mapping function and interpolation. Signal processing operations are performed on the spatial space representation of the received RADAR waveform data. The spatial space representation of the received RADAR waveform data is converted to a Cartesian space representation. Information corresponding to the one or more objects in the Cartesian space representation is generated.

Abstract: Vehicles and related systems and methods are provided for controlling a vehicle in an autonomous operating mode. One method involves identifying one or more avoidance zones in a vicinity of the vehicle, determining a deadline for completing a lateral maneuver to avoid a priority avoidance zone of the one or more avoidance zones, obtaining an initial reference lateral trajectory for the lateral maneuver based at least in part on the deadline, autonomously operating one or more actuators onboard the vehicle in accordance with the initial reference lateral trajectory, and thereafter obtaining one or more updated reference lateral trajectories for the vehicle, wherein the one or more actuators onboard the vehicle are autonomously operated in accordance with the one or more updated reference lateral trajectories in lieu of the initial reference lateral trajectory.

Abstract: A method of forming an LMNO cathode with electrolytic manganese dioxide includes dissolving metallic manganese in acid to create a dissolved manganese solution, disposing the solution within an electrolytic cell including an electrolytic cell anode and an electrolytic cell cathode, and applying a current between the cell anode and the cell cathode to the solution. Applying the current forms an MnO2 deposit upon the cell anode. The method further includes harvesting the deposit, creating a manganese precursor by neutralizing the deposit and grinding the deposit to form an MnO2 powder, and mixing the manganese precursor with a nickel precursor and a lithium precursor to create a mixture. The method further includes calcining the mixture to create an LMNO powder and coating a current collector with the LMNO powder to thereby form the LMNO cathode. The method may include testing the cathode electrode in an electrochemical pouch format cell.

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms for pull-over site selection for an autonomous vehicle. Simulation information is received from an external source. The simulation information corresponds to multiple simulations involving a virtual autonomous vehicle and available pull-over locations for the virtual autonomous vehicle. An indication to cause the autonomous vehicle to search for a pull-over location is received. Potential pull-over locations are analyzed in response to the indication. The potential pull-over locations are compared to simulated pull-over locations to identify a selected pull-over location. The autonomous vehicle navigates the selected pull-over location. The autonomous vehicle stops at the selected pull-over location.

Abstract: A three-way catalyst for reduced palladium loading is provided. The catalyst includes an inert substrate and a palladium catalyst material coating the substrate. The palladium catalyst material includes a support material formed from one of 10% CeO2/Al2O3, 20% CeO2—Al2O3 (20CeAlOy), 30% CeO2—Al2O3 (30CeAlOy), Al2O3, and MOx-Al2O3, wherein M is one of copper, iron, manganese, titanium, zirconium, magnesium, strontium, and barium. The palladium catalyst material includes a layer of CeO2 material disposed upon the support material, wherein the layer of CeO2 material is dispersed on a surface of the support material. The palladium catalyst material includes an active component including a layer of praseodymium oxide particles dispersed across the surface of the layer of CeO2 material and a layer of palladium particles disposed upon and dispersed across the surface of the layer of CeO2 material at locations each corresponding to a respective location of each of the praseodymium particles.

Abstract: Methods of forming a battery via in situ polymerization are provided. A precursor of a first blocker composition is applied to select edge regions of at least one bipolar electrode and terminal negative and positive electrodes. The components are assembled to form a stack with at least two insulating interlayers disposed between electrodes of opposite polarities. The precursor is reacted to form a first blocker composition sealing three sides of the stack to define a fillable interior region. Next, a polymer electrolyte precursor is injected into the fillable interior region. A precursor of a second blocker composition is applied to a terminal region of the fourth side of the stack. The precursors are concurrently reacted to form a polymer electrolyte and a second blocker composition along the fourth side. The first and second blocker compositions define a sealed pouch including the stack comprising the polymer electrolyte.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes a positive electrode including 90 wt. % to 98 wt. % of a cobalt-free electroactive material. represented by LiNixM1-xO2 (where M is manganese, aluminum, magnesium, zirconium, chromium, or a combination thereof and x?0.75), 0.05 wt. % to 3 wt. % a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binder having a molecular weight (MW) greater than or equal to about 6,000,000 u, and 1 wt. % to 5 wt. % of a first electronically conductive material. The electrochemical cell also includes a negative electrode including 90 wt. % to 98 wt. % of a graphite-containing negative electroactive material, 0.05 wt. % to 3 wt. % a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binder having a molecular weight (MW) greater than or equal to about 6,000,000 u, 0.05 wt. % to 2 wt. % of an ancillary binder, and 1 wt. % to 5 wt. % of a second electronically conductive material.

Abstract: In various aspects, the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing an electrode for an electrochemical cell. The method includes contacting a solid electrode material and a substrate at an interface. The method further includes preparing a liquid electrode material at the interface by heating at least a portion of the solid electrode material to a first temperature. The first temperature is greater than or equal to a melting point of the solid electrode material. The method further includes creating a layer of the liquid electrode material on the substrate by moving at least one of the solid electrode material and the substrate with respect to the other of the solid electrode material and the substrate. The method further includes forming the electrode by cooling the liquid electrode material to a second temperature. The second temperature is less than or equal to the melting point.

Abstract: A lamination system is contemplated. The system may have a modular design configured to fabricate a laminate from an incoming material. The system may be configured to produce the laminate with an outer layer comprising the incoming material such that the resulting layer has a width greater than a width of the incoming material prior to lamination.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy and shaped aluminum alloy parts cast therefrom. The aluminum alloy including, by mass, ?about 6.5% to ?about 8% silicon, ?about 0.1% to ?about 0.35% magnesium, ?about 0.2% to ?about 0.25% iron, ?about 0.05% to ?about 0.15% manganese, and ?about 0.1% to ?about 0.2% chromium. The mass percentage of iron (Fe%), the mass percentage of manganese (Mn %), and the mass percentage of chromium (Cr %) in the aluminum alloy satisfy the relationships: (i) [Mn %+(a×Cr %)]/Fe %>1, and (ii) Fe %+(b×Mn %)+(c×Cr %)>0.6%, where about 1.3?a?about 1.7, about 1.2?b?about 1.7, and about 2.5?c?about 2.9.

Abstract: A method for determining flow rates and phase fractions within a throughbore is disclosed. The method includes providing a mixture of one or more fluids through a fluid flow path in a throughbore at a flow rate, reducing the flow rate, slidably moving a first and second sleeve along the throughbore to a first position of a plurality of positions, measuring a first and second differential pressure at the first position, calculating a first loss pressure ratio from the first and second differential pressure. The method further includes slidably moving the first sleeve and second sleeve to each of the others of the plurality of positions in succession after the first position, measuring a plurality of differential pressures and calculating a loss pressure ratio at each of the plurality of positions, and calculating a plurality of flow rates phase fractions of the fluids flowing through the fluid flow path.

Abstract: An antenna system for a vehicle includes a first antenna array affixed to the vehicle and a remote antenna system. A first connector is affixed to the vehicle, and is connected to the controllable switch. The remote antenna system includes a second antenna array including a second active antenna and a wiring harness. The wiring harness includes a second signal lead connected to the second active antenna, a ground lead, and a second connector. The signal lead and the ground lead connect the second active antenna of the second antenna array to the second connector. The first connector is connectable to the second connector, and the switch array communicates signals from the second antenna array to the on-vehicle controller when the second connector of the second antenna array is connected to the first connector.

Abstract: A method for social networking using a multi-focal plane augmented reality display of a host vehicle includes receiving social-networking data from a remote device. The social-networking data includes information about at least one social interest of a remote user of the remote device. The remote device is located within a viewable area of a vehicle user of the host vehicle. The method further includes determining whether at least one social interest of the remote user matches a vehicle-user social interest of the vehicle user of the host vehicle using the social-networking data. The method further includes transmitting a command signal to the multi-focal plane augmented reality display of the host vehicle to display a virtual image on the multi-focal plane augmented reality display. The virtual image is indicative of the vehicle.

Abstract: The present technology is effective to cause at least one processor to instruct an autonomous vehicle to navigate a specific course and to record diagnostic measurements while navigating the specific course, receive the diagnostic measurements from the autonomous vehicle, and analyze the diagnostic measurements from the autonomous vehicle in a context provided by a collection of diagnostic measurement data collected from a fleet of similar autonomous vehicles navigating the specific course.

Abstract: A hot formed joined blank includes a first metal blank having an ultimate tensile strength of ?about 1300 MPa to ?about 2000 MPa and defining a first surface, a second metal blank having an ultimate tensile strength of ?about 400 MPa to ?about 1200 MPa and defining a second coated surface having a coating disposed thereon. The coating includes aluminum and silicon or in alternative variations, zinc. A third surface of the second metal blank is joined to the first surface of the first metal blank to form the hot formed joined blank. A weld nugget is disposed along a boundary between the first and second metal blanks that is configured to join the first and second metal blanks, where the weld nugget optionally includes less than or equal to about 1.5 weight percent aluminum or a microstructure comprising austenite and delta-ferrite.

Abstract: A vehicle configured to execute one or more methods for detecting function of a charging receptacle during a charging cycle. The methods include supplying a charging current through the pins; monitoring a pin temperature of the pins during the charging current; and applying a first step function to the charging current. The methods may also include monitoring a first step change in the pin temperature during the first step function; comparing the first step change in the pin temperature to a first expected temperature change to create a first deviation; and comparing the first deviation to a predetermined threshold. If the first deviation exceeds the predetermined threshold, signaling a maintenance alert, and if the first deviation is less than the predetermined threshold, logging the first deviation.

Abstract: Examples described herein provide a computer-implemented method that includes receiving, by a processing device, a current state of a vehicle. The method further includes predicting, by the processing device using an output of an artificial intelligence model, a future state of the vehicle based at least in part on the current state of the vehicle. The method further includes calculating, by the processing device using a tunable reward function, a reward associated with the future state of the vehicle, the tunable reward function comprising multiple tunable coefficients. The method further includes training, by the processing device, the artificial intelligence model based at least in part on the reward.

Abstract: A cathode configured for use within a fuel cell system is provided. The cathode includes a cathode substrate. The cathode further includes a coating disposed upon the cathode substrate and including a fluorocarbon polymer additive configured for sintering at a temperature of less than 200° C. The fluorocarbon polymer additive may be mixed with a catalyst ink coating or may be applied separately as a topcoat layer.