Abstract: A vehicle system of a vehicle for a vehicle user having a camera, an evaluation unit which has a memory and is coupled to the camera, a communication device that is coupled to the evaluation unit, and a self-drive unit which is coupled to the evaluation unit for autonomously driving the vehicle. The camera views the face of the vehicle user and relays collected data to the evaluation unit. An artificial intelligence, in the evaluation unit, evaluates the data from the camera in relation to the attentiveness and emotion of the vehicle user. The evaluated data is stored in the memory of the evaluation unit. On the basis of a predetermined emotion or a lack of attentiveness of the vehicle user, recognized by the artificial intelligence, the vehicle user is notified of the emotion or the lack of attentiveness recognized and the self-drive unit can be activated.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for controlling one or more autonomous agricultural vehicles includes generating a number of mission plans for the one or more autonomous agricultural vehicles, determining a plan value for each of the number of mission plans, selecting a mission plan with the highest plan value, and executing the selected mission plan to control the one or more autonomous agricultural vehicles.

Abstract: A target pathway generating device is provided with a map information acquisition unit, a curved path determination unit, an obstacle determination unit and a target pathway generating unit. The map information acquisition unit acquires map information. The curved path determination unit determines whether or not a curved path is present on a driving pathway of a vehicle based on the map information. Upon determining that a curved path is present, the obstacle determination unit determines whether or not there is an object to be avoided in the vicinity of the curved path. Upon determining that there is an object to be avoided, the target path generating unit generates a target pathway of the vehicle in order to avoid a predetermined region including the object to be avoided.

Abstract: A method and system that utilizes the energy storage provided by a vehicle's mass in the form of potential and kinetic energy to optimize the fuel consumption. The system of the present invention is composed of an elevation database, a localization mechanism, and a speed optimization mechanism/engine. The optimization engine receives a desired speed range from the operator such as a max speed and min speed input, and a route or elevation profile form the elevation database. Then, utilizing the elevation database, the localization mechanism and a weight estimate the system and method optimizes the current speed to minimize fuel consumption by way of setting and adjusting the cruise control speed. The route and the weight estimate may be provided or predicted by the optimization engine.

Abstract: A method for providing sound detection information includes steps of: sensing sound around a host vehicle to generate sound data; generating a result of sound detection based on the sound data; calculating a rate of change based on the result of sound detection; generating a result of tunnel detection by comparing the rate of change with a threshold; and controlling at least one peripheral apparatus in the host vehicle according to the result of tunnel detection.

Abstract: Unmanned vehicles can be terrestrial, aerial, nautical, or multi-mode. Unmanned vehicles may be used to survey a property in response to or in anticipation of damage to the property. For example, an unmanned vehicle may analyze information about the property and based on the information mitigate damage to the property.

Abstract: An excavator calibration framework comprises an excavator, a laser distance meter (LDM), and a plurality of laser reflectors. The excavator comprises a chassis, linkage assembly (LA), implement, and control architecture. The LA comprises a boom, stick, the implement, and a four-bar linkage including nodes, with a laser reflector at each node. The control architecture comprises a controller programmed to execute an iterative process at n linkage assembly positions to determine a position of an nth calibration node of the plurality of nodes of the four-bar linkage to determine triangular angles and side lengths of an external triangle formed between the nth calibration node and two other nodes having identified positions. The iterative process is repeated n times until triangular angles and side lengths of three external triangles are determined that form an internal triangle. Angles of the internal triangle are determined to generate an implement angle.

Abstract: In one embodiment, perception information is received, the perception information perceiving a driving scenario of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV). A path from a first location to a second location is planned and determined based on a driving scenario obtained based on the perception information. A tolerance area along the determined path is determined based on the perception information. The autonomous driving vehicle is driven within the tolerance area according to the path. No lateral error is committed if the autonomous driving vehicle is moving within the tolerance area. A lateral error is considered committed only if the autonomous driving vehicle is moving outside of the tolerance area.

Abstract: Unmanned vehicles can be terrestrial, aerial, nautical, or multi-mode. Unmanned vehicles may be used to survey a property in response to or in anticipation of damage to an object. Methods, systems, and devices may be used to determine damage information associated with structures (objects) in aerial images obtained by an unmanned vehicle, or other source. The damage information may include intensity of damage of a structure in an image.

Abstract: A monitoring system that utilizes Geo-mapping tools collaborating with a network and tracking devices to establish geo-fencing and predictive policing technology which can be used to do simple monitoring tasks, necessary interventions, or archive details as evidence for reports. The tracking devices are capable of communicating to the network via wireless signals provided by various carriers or independently. The Network is programmed with thresholds which are assigned to tracking devices and communicates to the Network via wireless transmission signals. The tracking devices are continuously monitored by the network and provide real-time alerts and detailed time-stamped reports when the thresholds are met. The tracking devices are equipped with many sensors which aid with monitoring the established thresholds and the ability to communicate between each other independent of the network.

Abstract: Payload properties may be determined utilizing actuator parameter data. A mobile drive unit may transport a payload around a workspace in accordance with one or more safety. To comply with safety policies, a motion controller of the mobile drive unit may limit acceleration and deceleration to safe maximums for given payload characteristics such as payload mass and payload center of gravity. The motion controller may utilize actuators to cause various motions of the mobile drive unit, including motion across a surface, vertical movements of the payload and motion rotating the payload. To ameliorate worst case assumptions about payload characteristics, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention, a payload characterization module may obtain information about payload characteristics based on measurements of operational parameters of the actuators.

Abstract: A method of predicting failure for vehicular components is implemented within a vehicle through a plurality of part sensors and an on-board computing (OBC) device as the part sensors are communicably coupled with the OBC device. The OBC device continuously timestamps and uploads a plurality of performance time-dependent data (PTDD) points to the OBC device throughout a current vehicular trip. The OBC device then analyzes the uploaded PTDD points with an updatable total time duration and an active performance-define range that are calculated from prior vehicular trips. The OBC device is then able to identify a potential vehicular problem during the current trip, based upon the uploaded PTDD points. When a potential vehicular problem is detected within the current trip, an annotating assessment is generated and wirelessly sent to a personal computing device of the owner/operator of the vehicle.

Abstract: A self-driving vehicle with an external advertising platform, such as video display signage, designed to provide on-demand geolocation video ever-changing advertising. The audiences of such advertisements would include those individuals that were in proximity to the self-driving vehicle as it traversed a geographic area. A large fleet of such self-driving vehicles could constantly move between targeted areas, including suburban neighborhoods to reach a maximum audience, without the need of a human operator.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for an adaptive climate control system. An example vehicle includes a plurality of sensors to determine the speed of the vehicle, an internal temperature of the vehicle, and a fuel economy of the vehicle. The vehicle includes control units each coupled to a corresponding window and an HVAC controller. The vehicle also includes a processor and memory with a climate control adapter. The climate control adapter performs adaptive cooling based on the speed, fuel economy, and the internal temperature of the vehicle.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a general-purpose wireless mobile device having a touch-sensitive screen and executing a remote control application is used to remotely control a vehicle (e.g., a marine vessel). The general-purpose wireless mobile device communicates via a wireless network with an interface (e.g., a server) that is coupled to an electronic control system of the vehicle (e.g., the vessel). In operation, environmental information and/or system status information is collected through the electronic control system, propagated to the interface (e.g., server), and then sent over the wireless network to the wireless mobile device. Similarly, control input is sent over the wireless network to the interface (e.g., server), which passes the information to the electronic control system, which in turn issues appropriate control signals to the vehicle subsystems (e.g., marine subsystems) to control the motion of the vehicle (e.g., the vessel).

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for field monitoring. A system for field monitoring comprises a plurality of types of sensor modules, an unmanned vehicle comprising a sensor system, and a control circuit configured to: receive onboard sensor data from the sensor system of the unmanned vehicle, detect an alert condition at a monitored area based on the onboard sensor data, select one or more types of sensor modules from the plurality of types of sensor modules to deploy at the monitored area based on the onboard sensor data, and cause the unmanned vehicle and/or one or more other unmanned vehicles to transport one or more sensor modules of the one or more types of sensor modules to the monitored area and deploy the one or more sensor modules by detaching from the one or more sensor modules at the monitored area.

Abstract: A method for the adaptive control of a driver operation-dependent actual vehicle deceleration in a commercial vehicle includes determining an operating variable that indicates a displacement of a brake pedal of a brake valve demanded by the driver as well as an assistance deceleration demand, providing a mass-dependent feeling curve that associates a driver's deceleration demand with the operating variable, adapting the mass-dependent feeling curve if there is no assistance deceleration demand so that the determined operating variable is associated with an actually prevailing actual vehicle deceleration, specifying a target vehicle deceleration depending on a driver operation-dependent driver's deceleration demand determined from the corresponding feeling curve and the assistance deceleration demand if there is an assistance deceleration demand, and actuating a brake pressure corresponding to the target vehicle deceleration for adaptively adjusted, driver operation-dependent control of the actual vehicle dece

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to an autonomous vehicle or self-driving vehicle with a vehicle control system. The vehicle control system can determine, prior to and/or during a collision, whether an escape path exits. If an escape path exists, the brakes are disengaged such that at least some of the energy and/or momentum from a colliding vehicle is transferred and a jolt or shock experienced by an occupant is reduced.

Abstract: Described is a system and method that provides the ability for an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) to determine (or estimate) one or more control characteristics for the ADV. In order to determine these control characteristics, the system may perform one or more driving maneuvers such as an acceleration or deceleration maneuver, and a constant velocity maneuver. By performing these maneuvers using various known forces, the system may then perform various calculations to obtain one or more unknown characteristics. For example, the system may determine as estimated mass of the ADV, and as a result, adjust (or tune) various controls of the ADV based on the estimated mass.

Abstract: A vehicle collision avoidance assist system, including: a forward obstacle detecting device; and a controller including an automatic braking control executing portion to execute an automatic braking control for permitting a brake apparatus to automatically operate and an avoidance control executing portion to execute, in addition to the automatic braking control, an avoidance control for pen fitting a steering apparatus to automatically operate, wherein the avoidance control executing portion is configured such that, when the forward obstacle detecting device detects, as a forward obstacle, a continuous obstacle that continuously extends diagonally forward so as to be inclined with respect to a forwardly extending centerline that forwardly extends from a center of the own vehicle, the avoidance control executing portion executes the avoidance control to enable the own vehicle to avoid the continuous obstacle such that the own vehicle travels along the continuous obstacle.