Abstract: Technologies for steering sensors in a sensor carrier structure on an autonomous vehicle (AV) are described herein. In some examples, a sensor positioning platform on an AV can include an actuator system including a motor; a belt mechanically engaged to a set of pulleys such that operation of the motor results in the belt driving a first rotational movement of at least one of the pulleys, which, in turn, causes a second rotational movement of a sensor carrier structure; a motor controller that receives instructions for controlling the motor to reposition the sensor carrier structure and sending control signals to the motor to perform the repositioning of the sensor carrier structure; and a bundle of cables coiled within a central bore of the actuator system.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described that combine a sorbent containing a flame retardant with a substrate, which is capable of responding to temperature increases to prevent, suppress, delay the spread of, or otherwise mitigate a proximal thermal event. A flame retardant system has a flame retardant material that is incorporated into a matrical sorbent material, which is incorporated into a substrate. The matrical sorbent material is configured to release the flame retardant material upon exposure to an elevated temperature, e.g., a temperature that is greater than 300° C. in one embodiment.

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: Rules based semantic map sharding is proposed. A method of handling semantic objects for semantic map sharding makes used of rules to define which semantic objects are to be included in a shard. Hereto, semantic objects are defined in a geographical area to be contained in shard data. For the semantic objects, a set of rules is defined comprising a definition of which semantic objects are to be combined into a shard data entry of the shard data and which semantic objects are to be stored in separate shard data entries.

Abstract: An electrolyte for a lithium metal battery including a nonaqueous aprotic organic solvent and a lithium salt dissolved or ionized in the nonaqueous aprotic organic solvent. The nonaqueous aprotic organic solvent includes a cyclic carbonate, an acyclic carbonate, and an acyclic fluorinated ether. The lithium salt includes an aliphatic fluorinated disulfonimide lithium salt.

Abstract: A sheet blank includes a core substrate having a generally planar shape with opposed first and second sides. The core substrate is made of high-strength steel containing at least two of ferrite, martensite, bainite, and austenite and having an ultimate tensile strength of at least 490 MPa. A respective decarburized layer of the high-strength steel is formed on each of the first and second sides of the core substrate, wherein each respective decarburized layer contains a minimum ferrite content of at least 80 volume % ferrite and has a respective thickness of 5 to 100 microns. A respective transition layer of the high-strength steel may be formed between the core substrate and each respective decarburized layer, with each transition layer having a respective inner transition layer abutting the core substrate and a respective outer transition layer abutting the respective decarburized layer.

Abstract: A method for storing shard data and data formats for storing shard data are proposed. Shard data entries are generated and stored, wherein each shard data entry comprises a definition of one or more semantic objects covered by the shard data entry. Shard metadata is generated and stored, wherein the metadata comprises references to the shard data entries and, for each of the shard data entries, data representative of a bounding box indicative of an area in a geographical area that is covered by the shard data entry.

Abstract: Systems and method are provided for controlling a vehicle.

Abstract: In a method of making a negative electrode for an electrochemical cell of a secondary lithium battery, a precursor mixture is prepared that includes electrochemically active Li—Si alloy particles, electrically conductive carbon particles, and an inert polymer binder dissolved in a nonpolar organic solvent.

Abstract: A method for dampening trailer sway, includes: receiving, by a controller of a vehicle system that is coupled to a trailer, a vehicle speed signal of the vehicle system, wherein the vehicle speed signal is indicative of a vehicle speed of the vehicle system; determining a friction force to be applied to the trailer by an actuator using the vehicle speed of the vehicle system and a graph that establishes a relationship between the friction force to be applied to the trailer and the vehicle speed; and adjusting, by the controller, the graph that establishes the relationship between the friction force and the vehicle speed using the decay rate of the plurality of oscillation amplitudes to create an updated graph.

Abstract: A method for generating shard data from a geographical area split into sections is proposed. The method uses data representative of a geographical area that is split into sections and data representative of semantic objects located in the geographical area. For each of the sections, semantic objects are searched that are located at least partly in a section. A shard data entry of the shard data is generated. The shard data entry includes one or more semantic objects found by the searching.

Abstract: A method of making a negative electrode for an electrochemical cell of a secondary lithium battery. The negative electrode includes composite Li—Si alloy particles dispersed in a polymer binder. The composite Li—Si alloy particles are formed by contacting Li—Si alloy particles with a precursor solution that includes a phosphorus sulfide compound dissolved in an organic solvent to form a lithium thiophosphate solid electrolyte layer over an entire outer surface of each of the Li—Si alloy particles.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle having observational sensors and a computing system. The computing system may have a processor and memory having computer-executable instructions that may cause the processor to determine, based upon a profile of a user, an average amount of time it takes the user to enter or exit the autonomous vehicle. The processor may then cause the observational sensors to detect and observe obstacles around the locations. The processor may also determined, based upon detected objects around the autonomous vehicle and the average amount of time it takes the user to enter or exit the autonomous vehicle, a location to stop to allow the user to enter or exit the autonomous vehicle.

Abstract: A system for assessing health of a cell group within a module of a battery pack includes a controller having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which instructions are recorded. One or more sensors are configured to obtain a series of respective average cell group voltages at different stages. The controller is adapted to obtain a measured voltage (VM) of the cell group at a calibration event occurring after the third stage. The controller is adapted to calculate a predicted voltage (VP) of the cell group based in part on a sum of a disparity factor (?V) and a third stage cell group voltage (V3). The cell group is controlled based at least partially on a difference between the measured voltage (VM) and the predicted voltage (VP).

Abstract: The subject disclosure relates to ways to authenticate a rider/user of an autonomous vehicle (AV) using biometric data, such as facial recognition. A process of the disclosed technology can facilitate the automatic unlocking of an AV by performing steps that include: receiving a dispatch request associated with a user identifier (ID), receiving a recognition model that corresponds with the user ID, and receiving an image stream including images of pedestrian faces. In some aspects, the process can further include steps for: providing the images to the recognition model, and determining if a user represented in the images corresponds with the user ID. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.

Abstract: A shutter system for use in a vehicle. The shutter system comprises a panel mounted on a conduit through which air flows, the panel having a first plurality of apertures for permitting air to flow therethrough; and a grille movably mounted on a surface of the panel, the grille having a second plurality of apertures for permitting air to flow therethrough. In an open position, the grille is aligned with the panel such that the first and second plurality of apertures are aligned to permit air to flow through both the first and second plurality of apertures. In a closed position, the grille is aligned with the panel such that the first and second plurality of apertures are not aligned and air is blocked from flowing through the first and second plurality of apertures. The shutter system comprises a first actuator mechanism coupled to the panel and the grille and comprising a first bias spring and a first shape-memory alloy (SMA) spring.

Abstract: A service table for transporting a battery pack comprises four frame members arranged end-to-end in a circuit, four hinges between adjacent frame members, and wheels. The service table further comprises a support bed mounted to at least one of the frame members and configured to support the battery pack. At least one hinge lock is disposed between adjacent frame members and arranged to be rigidly fixed to both of the adjacent frame members in a locked configuration and arranged to be decoupled from at least one of the adjacent frame members in an unlocked configuration. The frame members are arranged in a service configuration having a first width when the hinge lock is arranged in the locked configuration for transporting the battery pack thereon and in a storage configuration having a second width, less than the first width, when the hinge lock is arranged in the unlocked configuration.

Abstract: An obstacle detection and notification system for a motorcycle. The system includes a forward looking camera and a backward looking camera mountable to the motorcycle and a processor in operable communication with the forward looking camera and the backward looking camera. The processor executes program instructions to execute processes including: receiving video from the of the forward looking camera and the backward looking camera, performing a computer vision and machine learning based object detection and tracking process to detect, classify and track obstacles in the video and to output detected object data, defining a blind spot region around one or more other vehicles using the detected object data, determining whether the motorcycle is located in the blind spot region, and outputting audible, tactile or visual feedback, via an output system, to a rider of the motorcycle when the motorcycle is determined to be located in the blind spot region.