Abstract: An autonomous mobile device (AMD) uses sensors to explore a physical space and determine the locations of obstacles. Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) techniques are used by the AMD to designate as keyframes some images and their associated descriptors of features in the space. Each keyframe indicates a location and orientation of the AMD relative to those features. Anchors are specified relative to keyframes. A marker is specified relative to one or more anchors. Because markers are associated with features in the physical space, they maintain their association with the physical space through various processes such as SLAM loop closures. Markers may specify locations in the physical space, such as navigation waypoints, navigation destinations such as a goal pose for exploring an unexplored area, as an observation target to facilitate exploration, and so forth. Markers may also be used to specify block listed locations to be avoided during exploration.

Abstract: To provide stopping assistance, the disclosure relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle, in which a stopping point for the motor vehicle is determined using a sensor device of the motor vehicle. In the method, the motor vehicle determines a need to stop at the stopping point and initiates stopping of the motor vehicle at the stopping point when the need is present. If the need is absent, a control device of the motor vehicle performs a movement of the motor vehicle or issues a message characterizing the absence of the need to a driver of the motor vehicle. The disclosure further relates to a motor vehicle.

Abstract: An electronic device for stopping a vehicle can be activated automatically in the presence of an emergency stopping instruction. A module calculates at least one automatic movement setpoint of the vehicle in order to follow an emergency stopping trajectory comprising a plurality of successive emergency stopping vectors each associated with a separate segment of a portion of the successive segments of the predefined trajectory, from at least for each emergency stopping vector: a stored last actual movement vector of the autonomous vehicle, the predefined movement trajectory of the autonomous vehicle, and a stored last location datum of the autonomous vehicle, and delivered by at least one sensor of the autonomous vehicle. An emergency steering module is capable of steering the vehicle according to said at least one setpoint.

Abstract: A system for minimizing data transmission latency between a sensor and a suspension controller of a vehicle is described. The system includes: a state determination module that determines a physical state of the vehicle; a plurality of data paths for transmitting a first signal from the sensor to the suspension controller; a data path configurator of the controller that selects a first data path of the plurality of data paths based on at least one characteristic of the first data path and the physical state and configures the first data path to transmit the first signal; and an actuation module that generates an actuation signal to control a damping characteristic of the suspension actuator based on at least the first signal.

Abstract: A display control apparatus comprises a receiving unit that receives a steering assist amount in an electric power steering system of a vehicle and a measured value of a yaw rate sensor provided in the vehicle; a sign determination unit that determines a sign of the steering assist amount or a sign of the measured value of the yaw rate sensor received by the receiving unit; and a calculation unit that calculates a display steering assist index value to be displayed on a display device in the vehicle based on the sign determined by the sign determination unit, and the steering assist amount and the measured value of the yaw rate sensor received by the receiving unit.

Abstract: A method for determining actual wear and tear of fleet cars is provided. The method includes at a cloud server comprising a processor, a memory and a database, receiving, from a first fleet car, first data streams generated by a first group of sensors mounted on the first fleet car, receiving from a second fleet car second data streams generated by a second group of sensors mounted on the second fleet car, and determining, with the processor, actual wear and tear of the first fleet car and the second fleet car based on the first wear and tear element and the second wear and tear element.

Abstract: A controller for a vehicle is provided. One of a prime mover that drives a front wheel and a prime mover that drives a rear wheel is referred to as a first prime mover, and the other one is referred to as a second prime mover. The controller generates, when a required torque required for a drive wheel of the vehicle is a braking torque, the braking torque from the first prime mover. The controller limits, when the required torque changes from the braking torque to a driving torque, an increase in the driving torque generated from the first prime mover during a set period. The controller generates, from the second prime mover that does not generate the braking torque, the driving torque required during execution of the torque limit process.

Abstract: A vehicle dispatch system is configured to execute user type identification processing for identifying a user type indicating whether the user is a visually handicapped person or a healthy person, and when the user is identified to be a visually handicapped person, execute voice guidance processing for performing voice guidance for a visually handicapped person. The autonomous driving vehicle includes an image recognition unit configured to perform image recognition of the user. The voice guidance processing includes guidance information generation processing for generating guidance information including a moving direction for allowing the user to approach the autonomous driving vehicle based on an image recognition result of the image recognition unit, and guidance information transfer processing for transferring the guidance information to the user by voice.

Abstract: A map information system includes a database management device configured to manage a map database used for vehicle driving support control. The map database includes background map information that indicates a position of a stationary object and an evaluation value. The evaluation value indicates certainty that the stationary object exists at the position indicated by the background map information. Driving environment information includes: surrounding situation information including information on a detected target detected by an in-vehicle sensor; and vehicle state information indicating the vehicle state. The database management device recognizes relative behavior of the vehicle with respect to the detected target, based on the driving environment information.

Abstract: A work machine receives a thematic map that maps values of a variable to different geographic locations at a worksite. Control zones are dynamically identified on the thematic map and actuator settings are dynamically identified for each control zone. A position of the work machine is sensed, and actuators on the work machine are controlled based upon the control zones that the work machine is in, or is entering, and based upon the settings corresponding to the control zone. These control zones and settings are dynamically adjusted based on in situ (field) data collected by sensors on the work machine.

Abstract: A robotic assistant comprises a plurality of sensors in a compact and unobtrusive form. One or more sensors may be emplaced upon a mast that may be selectively raised and lowered. The mast allows the robotic assistant to acquire images or other sensor data from a greater height, without substantially increasing the bulk of the robotic assistant. For ease of transport from one floor to another or from one building to another, the robotic assistant may deploy a handhold that a human may use to pick up and carry the robotic assistant. Floor characterization sensors may be used to determine characteristics of the floor such as if the floor is wet or dry. The robotic assistant may be used to provide a user with access to network services, to monitor a facility, provide telepresence services, and so forth.

Abstract: Devices, Systems, and Methods for controlled movement of the robot system. The surgical robot system may include a robot having a robot base, a robot arm coupled to the robot base, and an end-effector coupled to the robot arm. The robot may include a plurality of omni-directional wheels affixed to the robot base allowing multiple-axis movement of the robot. The robot may further include sensors for detecting a desired movement of the robot base and a control system responsive to the plurality of sensors for controlling the multiple-axis movement of the robot by actuating two or more of the plurality of omni-directional wheels.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods to supplement, combine, replace, verify and calibrate in-vehicle and in-device sensors and GNSS systems are presented. A mobile device and a vehicle navigation system share sensor and GNSS information to arrive at an improved navigation solution. For example, a navigation solution computed by a vehicle may rely on a sensor signal from a mobile device. Similarly, a navigation solution computed by a mobile device may use a sensor signal or a GNSS signal from a vehicle.

Abstract: A work machine having an autonomous travel function may include: a cutting section that cuts a work target of the work machine; an image-capturing section that captures an image of the work target cut by the cutting section; and a judging section that judges a state of the cutting section based on the image captured by the image-capturing section. The judging section may judge whether maintenance of or a check on the cutting section is necessary or not based on a result of judgment about the state of the cutting section.

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a method performed by an autonomous vehicle for activating an autonomous braking maneuver of the autonomous vehicle having an autonomous drive system. The autonomous vehicle detects at least one user initiated request for an autonomous braking maneuver of the vehicle when the vehicle is in a first autonomous drive mode at a speed. The autonomous braking maneuver is at least one of: speed reduction or stop. When the request has been detected, the autonomous vehicle activates the autonomous braking maneuver of the vehicle which reduces the speed and/or brakes the vehicle to a stop.

Abstract: Park control systems and methods operate such that, in response to a request to engage or disengage a park pawl of a vehicle park pawl system, a controller commands a hydraulic brake system to maintain a hydraulic brake pressure therein generated in response to depression of a brake pedal by a driver of the vehicle, when vehicle movement is detected after maintaining the hydraulic brake pressure, commands a vacuum-independent electric brake booster to generate and provide additional hydraulic brake pressure to the hydraulic brake system, commands the park pawl system to engage or disengage the park pawl to/from a transmission output shaft, and after the park pawl is engaged or disengaged to/from the transmission output shaft, commands the hydraulic brake system to release its hydraulic pressure at a defined rate.

Abstract: A powering pattern representing velocity of a vehicle at each position of a powering interval in a braking delay period between a timing at which the vehicle exceeds allowable velocity and a braking timing at which the vehicle starts to brake, and a coasting pattern representing velocity of the vehicle at each position of a coasting interval subsequent to the powering interval in the braking delay period are calculated after calculating a braking pattern representing velocity of the vehicle in a braking interval, which is a running interval subsequent to the coasting interval and which occurs between a position of the vehicle at the braking timing and a target position for controlling the vehicle to run at predetermined velocity or less, wherein an acceleration characteristic depending on velocity of the vehicle is used to calculate at least the powering pattern.

Abstract: A method for operating a vehicle, the vehicle including at least one friction brake unit, including a brake body and at least one brake element, the brake body being rotatably fixedly connected to a wheel of the vehicle and the brake element being situated on the chassis side and being displaceable in the direction of the brake body. The brake element is pressed against the brake body for generating a friction braking action, and an actual vehicle parameter resulting from the friction brake action being monitored for vibrations with the aid of at least one sensor unit. When detecting a vibration, the frequency of the vibrations is compared with the rotational speed of the wheel, and at least one safety measure is carried out in a third step if the comparison indicates that the frequency is equal to or greater than the rotational speed of the wheel.

Abstract: A first method comprising: predicting a scene of an environment using a model of the environment and based on a first scene of the environment obtained from sensors observing scenes of the environment; comparing the predicted scene with an observed scene from the sensors; and performing an action based on differences determined between the predicted scene and the observed scene. A second method comprising applying a vibration stimuli on an object via a computer-controlled component; obtaining a plurality of images depicting the object from a same viewpoint, captured during the application of the vibration stimuli. The second method further comprising comparing the plurality of images to detect changes occurring in response to the application of the vibration stimuli, which changes are attributed to a change of a location of a boundary of the object; and determining the boundary of the object based on the comparison.

Abstract: A method for transporting items in a system including plural structures of different designs, plural robots connected in a wireless network for transporting the plural structures, and a control system connected in the wireless network. The method includes: receiving, by the control system, a transport request indicating a structure to be transported from a current location to a new location and determining, by the control system, based on the transport request, a number of robots to assign to the transport request. The method further includes: coordinating, by the control system, a lift operation by the number of robots of the structure, wherein during the lift operation each robot engages with a lifting location associated with the structure, and coordinating, by the control system, transport, by the number of robots, of the structure to the new location.