Abstract: A system and method for generating shard data based on semantic sharding is proposed. Shard data is generated by a map sharder that is configured to generate the shard data based on semantic objects in a geographical area and a definition of sections. The sections cover parts of the geographical area. The map sharder searches, for each of the sections, for semantic objects that are located at least partly in a section and stores found objects in a shard data entry of the shard data.

Abstract: In various embodiments, methods, systems, and vehicle apparatuses are provided. A method for estimating a Hitch Articulation Angle (HAA) using Ultra-Sonic Sensors (USSs) while ensuring quality detected echo signal performance using plausibility filtering, generating at least one set of USS data based on detecting a set of echo signals generated by a plurality of USSs configured about a vehicle coupled to a trailer; determining based on a set of USS data using a selected set of geometric equations in a plausibility filtering process for an arbitrary frontal shape of the trailer; and generating at least one comparison based on at least one set of USS data estimations to a kinematic model at low speeds for ensuring that results of the kinematic model to the HAA associated with the determined trailer shape is based on a pair of detected echo signals that are deemed to have a higher signal performance.

Abstract: An electrode precursor or slurry according to various aspects of the present disclosure includes a blended electroactive material and a binder solution. The blended electroactive material includes a first electroactive material and a second electroactive material. The first electroactive material includes nickel. The first electroactive material is selected from the group consisting of LiNixCoyMnzO2 where x is greater than 0.6, LiNixCoyAlzO2 where x is greater than 0.6, LiNixCoyMnzAl?O2 where x is greater than 0.6, or any combination thereof. The second electroactive material includes a phosphor-olivine compound at less than or equal to about 30 weight percent of the blended electroactive material. The binder solution including a polymeric binder and a solvent including N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. In various aspects, the present disclosure provides a high-nickel-content positive electrode formed from the slurry.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to solid-state electrolytes and methods of making the same. The method includes admixing a sulfate precursor including one or more of Li2SO4 and Li2SO4.H2O with one or more carbonaceous capacitor materials. The first admixture is calcined to form an electrolyte precursor that is admixed with one or more additional components to form the solid-state electrolyte. When a ratio of the sulfate precursor to the one or more carbonaceous capacitor materials in the first admixture is about 1:2, the electrolyte precursor consists essentially of Li2S. When a ratio of the sulfate precursor to the one or more carbonaceous capacitor materials in the first admixture is less than about 1:2, the electrolyte precursor is a composite precursor including a solid-state capacitor cluster including the one or more carbonaceous capacitor materials and a sulfide coating including Li2S disposed on one or more exposed surfaces of the solid-state capacitor cluster.

Abstract: A positive electrode for an electrochemical cell of a secondary lithium metal battery may include an aluminum metal substrate and a protective layer disposed on a major surface of the aluminum metal substrate. The protective layer may include a conformal aluminum fluoride coating layer. A positive electrode active material layer may overlie the protective layer on the major surface of the aluminum metal substrate. The positive electrode active material layer may include a plurality of interconnected pores, which may be infiltrated with a nonaqueous electrolyte that includes a lithium imide salt.

Abstract: A hybrid threading tap includes a reamer portion and a thread cutting portion having a plurality of cutting teeth. The thread cutting portion is arranged with the reamer portion along the longitudinal axis. The reamer portion is configured to be advanced within a hole of a workpiece to plastically deform and expand the hole to an expanded hole and provide the expanded hole with a zone of residual compressive stress. The plurality of cutting teeth is configured to cut a threading into the expanded hole within the zone.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a plurality of microphones to obtain speech from a person outside the vehicle as an input signal and a sensor system to determine a location and orientation of the person relative to the vehicle. The vehicle also includes a controller to determine characteristics of the input signal and to determine whether to perform speech enhancement on the input signal based on one or more of the characteristics and the location and orientation of the person.

Abstract: A crash detection system for a vehicle comprises first and second batteries and a computational system comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium. First and second antennas are both in electronic communication with the computational system and powered by one of the batteries, with the antennas configured to independently wirelessly communicate with an external network. A microphone powered by one of the batteries and in electronic communication with the computational system. The microphone continuously receives sound waves in real time and transmits sound signals to the processor. The processor monitors properties of the sound waves within the sound signals, compares the properties to thresholds stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium, determines if the vehicle has been involved in a collision if at least one of the properties crosses the respective threshold, and communicates with the external network to report the collision with one of the antennas.

Abstract: An automobile vehicle self-cleaning modular floor system includes a self-cleaning modular assembly positioned in a passenger compartment of an automobile vehicle and including a tread portion, the tread portion having a first face and an oppositely directed second face. The first face of the tread portion when upwardly directed defines a first position of the tread portion, with a waste item collecting onto the first face in the first position during operation of the automobile vehicle. The tread portion is selectively moved from the first position to a second position having the first face downwardly directed and the second face upwardly directed. A waste collection tray is positioned below the tread portion to receive the waste item when the tread portion is in the second position.

Abstract: A heat dissipation device for an electronics cooling system having an electronic component includes a housing that defines a chamber. The device further includes a first liquid, which is contained within the chamber and has a first boiling temperature. The device further includes a sorbent material immersed within the first liquid. The device further includes a second liquid, which is adsorbed by the sorbent material and has a second boiling temperature that is above the first boiling temperature. The first liquid vaporizes into a first vapor, in response to the first liquid reaching the first boiling temperature. The second liquid is desorbed from the sorbent material, in response to the second liquid and the sorbent material reaching a desorption temperature that is below the second boiling temperature. The second liquid vaporizes into a second vapor, in response to the second liquid reaching the second boiling temperature.

Abstract: A wastegate system of a vehicle includes: a wastegate valve configured to regulate exhaust flow through a turbine of a turbocharger of an engine; a wastegate actuator including a lever that is mechanically coupled to the wastegate valve via one or more linkages and that is configured to move linearly based on a pressure within an interior of the wastegate actuator; a resonator that is fluidly coupled to the interior of the wastegate actuator via a first one or more hoses and that is configured to counteract force attributable to pressure changes in the exhaust from combustion events within the engine; and a regulator valve that is fluidly connected between a pneumatic source and the resonator via a second one or more hoses and that is configured to regulate the pressure within the interior of the wastegate actuator.

Abstract: Presented are metalworking systems for forming metallic workpieces, methods for making such workpieces and methods for operating such systems, and battery cell tabs bent by a multistage plunger press. A metalworking system includes a plunger fixture that mounts adjacent metallic workpieces, and a plunger head movably mounted to the plunger fixture to move between activated and deactivated positions. A first row of plunger fingers is mounted to the plunger head and moves in one direction to press against and bend one metallic workpiece a predefined bend angle. Likewise, a second row of plunger fingers is mounted to the plunger head and moves in an opposite direction to press against and bend another metallic workpiece another predefined bend angle. The plunger head then moves to the activated position, in tandem with the plunger fingers bending the metallic workpieces, to cause the plunger fingers to bend the workpieces additional respective bend angles.

Abstract: The subject disclosure relates to techniques for application-based controls of a wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle. A process of the disclosed technology can include steps for receiving a request for a wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle (WAV) to execute an ingress function, wherein the ingress function includes a deployment of a wheelchair ramp by the WAV, sending an ingress command to the WAV in response to the request, wherein the ingress command comprises instructions cause the WAV to execute the ingress function at a specified pick-up location, and receiving feedback from the WAV, the feedback includes sensor data associated with a wheelchair ramp and status information associated with the ingress function. Machine-readable media and systems are also provided.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrolyte system for an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions. The electrolyte system may include an aliphatic fluorinated disulfonimide lithium salt in a mixture of organic solvents. The mixture of organic solvents may include a first solvent and a second solvent. The first solvent may include an ether solvent, a carbonate solvent, or a mixture of ether and carbonate solvents. The second solvent may include a fluorinated ether. A molar ratio of the aliphatic fluorinated disulfonimide lithium salt to the first solvent may be greater than or equal to about 1:1.2 to less than or equal to about 1:2. A molar ratio of the first solvent to the second solvent may be greater than or equal to about 1:1 to less than or equal to about 1:4.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a component having a porosity-controlled lithium metal coating includes setting up an aerosol spray apparatus having a material feeder and a confinement conduit in fluid communication therewith. The confinement conduit has an inlet end and a nozzle end. The method also includes setting up a substrate having an exposed surface on a moveable tooling plate and directing the nozzle end at the exposed surface. The method additionally includes loading a lithium metal into the material feeder. The method also includes feeding a high-pressure gas into the inlet end of the confinement conduit to thereby form an aerosol spray of lithium metal. The method further includes moving the tooling plate to regulate a thickness and a pattern of deposition of the lithium metal onto the exposed surface through the nozzle end to thereby generate a porous lithium metal coating on the substrate.

Abstract: An anode-free solid-state battery includes a cathode layer having transient anode elements and a bare current collector devoid of non-transitory anode material and configured to accept thereon the transient anode elements. The battery also includes a solid-state electrolyte layer defining voids and arranged between the current collector and the cathode layer. The battery additionally includes a gel situated within the solid-state electrolyte and cathode layers, to permeate the electrolyte voids and form a gelled solid-state electrolyte layer, coat the cathode layer, and facilitate ionic conduction of the anode elements between the cathode layer, the solid-state electrolyte layer, and the current collector. Charging the battery diffuses the anode elements from the cathode layer, via the gelled solid-state electrolyte layer, onto the current collector. Discharging the battery returns the anode elements, via the gelled solid-state electrolyte layer, to the cathode layer.

Abstract: Systems and methods associated with a vehicle are provided. The systems and methods include an occupant output system including an output device, a camera or other perception device, and a processor in operable communication with the occupant output system and the camera or other perception device. The processor is configured to execute program instructions to cause the processor to: receive image or other perception data from the camera or other perception device, the image or other perception data including at least part of a head and/or body of an occupant of the vehicle, analyze the image or other perception data to determine if the occupant is of hearing and vision impaired, when the occupant is determined to be of vision and hearing impaired, decide on an output modality to assist the occupant, and generate an output for the occupant on the output device, and in the output modality.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for indicating a driving situation including at least one vehicle. The system includes a first processor, a second processor and an external device. A first processor obtains driving information, encodes the driving information and communicates the encoded driving information to the second processor. The second processor receives and decodes the encoded driving information. The second processor further allocates a predefined indication pattern to the decoded driving information, wherein the predefined indication pattern includes a graphical representation of an upcoming driving event involving the vehicle. An external device visualizes a current driving situation including the vehicle together with the predefined indication pattern.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for forming a two-dimensional silicon oxide negative electroactive material. The methods include contacting a two-dimensional silicon allotrope and an oxidizing agent in an environment having a temperature of greater than or equal to about 25° C. to less than or equal to about 1,000° C., where the contacting of the two-dimensional silicon allotrope and the oxidizing agent causes the two-dimensional silicon allotrope to oxidize and form the two-dimensional silicon oxide negative electroactive material. In certain variations, the oxidizing agent includes oxygen and the contacting of the two-dimensional silicon allotrope and the oxidizing agent may include disposing the two-dimensional silicon allotrope in an oxygen-containing environment comprising less than or equal to about 21% of oxygen. In other variations, the oxidizing agent includes a wet chemical agent.