Abstract: Systems and methods for path planning by creating a three dimensional weighted graph representing a physical area wherein the third dimension comprise planes, wherein each plane represents a time unit, further wherein nodes can be connected only between different planes.

Abstract: A motor vehicle has an electronically controllable parking lock and an electronically controllable parking brake, which can be controlled individually or in combination. A device having an electronic control unit and a central operating element associated with the parking lock and the parking brake is provided. When the motor vehicle is at a standstill and the central operating element is actuated, the parking lock and the parking brake can be controlled in a specific type of parking-lock and/or parking-brake activation. In a first specific type, during a first actuation of the central operating element, at least the parking brake is automatically activated first. If the central operating element is then re-actuated within a predefined time window, or if the central operating element remains actuated for a predefined minimum time period, the driver is offered at least one possibility of manually selecting a specific type of parking-lock and/or parking-brake activation.

Abstract: An autonomous robot is maneuvered around a feature in an environment along a first trajectory. Data characterizing the first trajectory is stored as a trajectory landmark. The autonomous cleaning robot is maneuvered along a second trajectory. Data characterizing the second trajectory is compared to the trajectory landmark. Based on comparing the data characterizing the second trajectory to the trajectory landmark, it is determined that the first trajectory matches the second trajectory. A transform that aligns the first trajectory with the second trajectory is determined. The transform is applied to an estimate of a position of the autonomous cleaning robot as a correction of the estimate.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for grouping unmanned aerial vehicles are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving, by a first unmanned aerial vehicle that includes a first transceiver, a communication from a base station. The actions further include receiving, by the first unmanned aerial vehicle and from a second unmanned aerial vehicle that includes a second transceiver, data indicating that the second unmanned aerial vehicle received the communication from the base station. The actions further include determining first signal parameters of the communication. The actions further include receiving, from the second unmanned aerial vehicle, second signal parameters of the communication. The actions further include selecting the first unmanned aerial vehicle or the second unmanned aerial vehicle to transmit a reply communication to the base station.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improved vehicle-to-vehicle communications are provided. A system can obtain sensor data depicting its surrounding environment and input the sensor data (or processed sensor data) to a machine-learned model to perceive its surrounding environment based on its location within the environment. The machine-learned model can generate an intermediate environmental representation that encodes features within the surrounding environment. The system can receive a number of different intermediate environmental representations and corresponding locations from various other systems, aggregate the representations based on the corresponding locations, and perceive its surrounding environment based on the aggregated representations. The system can determine relative poses between the each of the systems and an absolute pose for each system based on the representations.

Abstract: A vehicle driving apparatus includes: an engine; a first rotary electric machine; first and second output shafts; a power distribution device for distributing a power between the first and second output shafts; and a control device for controlling an electric-power generation torque of a second rotary electric machine such that a power distribution ratio between the first and second output shafts becomes a target distribution ratio, and controlling a total torque of the engine and the first rotary electric machine such that a requested drive torque is obtained. The control device executes an electric-power consuming control to supply at least a part of a generated electric power generated by the second rotary electric machine, to the first rotary electric machine without via a power storage device, and to drive the first rotary electric machine, such that an operation state of the engine is brought close to a fuel-economy optimum state.

Abstract: The autonomous controller includes: a processor configured to control autonomous driving, calculate a safety area, and determine conversion into an autonomous driving mode based on a current location of the driver's seat; and a storage configured to store information about the safety area, data, and an algorithm run by the processor. The processor is configured to convert a manual driving mode into the autonomous driving mode when the current location of the driver's seat is within the safety area or when a request for conversion into the autonomous driving mode is input while driving in the manual driving mode, and move the current location of the driver's seat into the safety area and convert the manual driving mode into the autonomous driving mode when the current location of the driver's seat is not within the safety area.

Abstract: A method for preventing a robot from colliding with a charging base, including: step 1, during a process of moving in a current working area of the robot, detecting, in real time, a reception condition of a base avoidance signal of the robot within a received signal coverage range thereof; and step 2, establishing a safety area in the current working area according to a direction feature relationship between the base avoidance signal and a preset working path of the robot, and before establishing the safety area, according to an orientation relationship between the base avoidance signal and a direction of a current moving path of the robot, marking and establishing a danger area at a position that satisfies a collision avoidance relationship with a current position of the robot, so that the robot avoids the charging base during the process of moving in the current working area.

Abstract: A method of identifying stairs from footfalls includes receiving a plurality of footfall locations of a robot traversing an environment. Each respective footfall location indicates a location where a leg of the robot contacted a support surface. The method also includes determining a plurality of candidate footfall location pairs based on the plurality of footfall locations. The candidate footfall location pair includes a first and a second candidate footfall location. The method further includes clustering the first candidate footfall location into a first cluster group based on a height of the first candidate footfall location and clustering the second candidate footfall location into a second cluster group based on a height of the second candidate footfall location. The method additionally includes generating a stair model by representing each of the cluster groups as a corresponding stair and delineating each stair based on a respective midpoint between each adjacent cluster group.

Abstract: A method of supporting taxi operation of an aircraft with multiple engines is provided. The method includes receiving information indicating a predicted duration of a taxi operation of a flight of the aircraft and weather conditions at the airport and determining whether a reduced-engine taxi operation (RETO) of the aircraft is permitted based on the predicted taxi duration and the weather conditions. When RETO is permitted, the method further includes determining a fuel savings of RETO in which at least a portion of the taxi operation is performed with less than all of the engines running, relative to a normal taxi operation in which the taxi operation is performed with all of the engines running and outputting a recommendation of RETO or normal taxi operation to a display device onboard the aircraft, the recommendation of RETO when the fuel savings is at least a given minimum fuel savings.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for path planning for autonomous moving devices. Aspects of the invention include planning a path for a mobile robot to move autonomously in an environment that includes other static and moving obstacles, such as, for example, other mobile devices and pedestrians, without reference to a prior map of the environment. A planned path for a mobile robot can be determined, adjusted, and adapted using diffusion maps to avoid collisions while making progress towards a global destination. Path planning can include using transition probabilities between grid points to find a feasible path through parts of the environment to make progress towards the global destination. In one aspect, diffusion maps are used in combination with a receding horizon approach, including computing diffusion maps at specified time intervals.

Abstract: A robot scheduling method. Robots include a cleaning robot for performing cleaning operations in a cleaning region and a conveying robot for transporting the cleaning robot in an aisle region. The robot scheduling method includes a task generating step, a task issuing step, a route planning step, a travel controlling step, and a docking controlling step.

Abstract: A flexible sensor is provided. A further aspect employs a sensor apparatus including pressure or force sensing layers or sheets in addition to location sensing layers or sheets. In another aspect, an electrical sensing circuit and flexible films are used to sense pressure and/or location of a contacting object. In another aspect, a compressible polymer includes conductive particles therein such that the compressible polymer changes electrical resistance when compressed to indicate a force or location. Still another aspect has stacked sandwiches of pressure and/or location sensing films, layers or sheets.

Abstract: This technology described herein provides embodiments of a cloud-based mobility service system for a Connected Automated Vehicle Highway (CAVH). In some embodiments, the technology provides a cloud-based mobility service system to provide the services and functionalities of different components of a CAVH system including, for example, user, vehicle, infrastructure, system, roadside, and CAVH traffic control layers. Detailed cloud-based data interfaces and services are described for each component, e.g., regarding their data needs to and from the cloud system. Cloud functionalities including the communication, computational, and analytic needs are described for each system component. The CAVH cloud services also provide integrated CAVH functionalities including planning, control, sensing, prediction, and analytics at macroscopic, mesoscopic, and microscopic levels of CAVH systems.

Abstract: A steering system for controlling an agricultural machine having a pair of front and rear wheels includes a controller and a steer input sensor for detecting a change in an operator steer input corresponding to a steer command. The system includes a displacement input for communicating a motor displacement associated with an operating mode. A primary differential steering system includes a drive motor for operably controlling the pair of front wheels and a secondary steering system controls the pair of rear wheels. The controller determines if the motor displacement is being controlled according to a first motor displacement or a second motor displacement, and outputs a control signal to actuate first and second actuators as a function of the steer command. The control signal includes a rear steering gain that is a function of machine speed and either the first motor displacement or the second motor displacement.

Abstract: A system for validating automated vehicle data transmission capabilities of a vehicle is provided. The system includes a vehicle data transmission diagnostics (VDTD) server in communication with the vehicle and a plurality of roadside evaluation units. The VDTD server includes at least one processor and at least one memory device, and is programmed to: (i) determine that a data latency risk evaluation (DLRE) should be performed for the vehicle, (ii) transmit a DLRE request to the vehicle, (iii) receive, from the vehicle, a response to the transmitted DLRE request including trip data, the trip data including a selected route to be taken by the vehicle, (iv) interrogate the plurality of roadside evaluation units based upon the received trip data, and (v) select, based upon the interrogation, one of the plurality of roadside evaluation units to be a data latency evaluation checkpoint for the vehicle during the upcoming trip.

Abstract: A method, computer system, and a computer program product for allocating unused computing resources of a plurality autonomous vehicles is provided. The present invention may include receiving at least one computation request from at least one user. The present invention may include identifying the unused computing resources of the plurality of autonomous vehicles. The present invention may include predicting an amount of computational activities performable by the unused computing resources of the plurality of autonomous vehicles. The present invention may include allocating the unused computing resources of the plurality of autonomous vehicles to perform the predicted amount of computational activities, wherein the received at least one computation request is allocated at least a portion of the unused computing resources. The present invention may include distributing a processing load to at least one of the plurality of autonomous vehicles.

Abstract: In a method for operating a motor vehicle during an autonomous parking process it is proposed that during the autonomous parking process a first braking torque is applied automatically to at least a first wheel, and a second braking torque is applied automatically to at least a second wheel, that a slip of one of the wheels is inferred from a comparison of the rotational speed of the first wheel to which the first braking torque is applied with the rotational speed of the second wheel to which the second braking torque is applied, and that if a variable characterizing the slip reaches or exceeds a limiting value, an action is automatically triggered.

Abstract: A system for managing a fleet of shared autonomous vehicles may comprise a plurality of specialized sub-systems. The sub-systems may coordinate to service requested rides using the vehicles. The system may comprise a reservation system configured to receive a request for a ride from a user device. The system may comprise a coordination system configured to determine a price for the requested ride. The system may comprise a routing system configured to determine a vehicle of the fleet to service the requested ride and/or a route for the requested ride. The determined vehicle may be caused to service the requested ride.

Abstract: An embodiment acceleration limit control method includes determining an acceleration limit based on information on a passenger, determining a disturbance torque due to a disturbance, other than a drive source of a vehicle, based on at least a slope, determining a torque limit satisfying the acceleration limit based on the disturbance torque, and determining an output torque to be generated by the drive source based on the torque limit and a driver's requested torque.