Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for the generation of a driving difficulty heat map for autonomous vehicles. For instance, log data generated by a vehicle being driven in a manual driving mode for a segment of a route may be input into a disengage model in order to generate an output identifying a likelihood of a vehicle driving in an autonomous driving mode requiring a disengage from the autonomous driving mode along the segment of the route. The log data may have been collected within a geographic area. A grid for the geographic area may be generated. The grid may include a plurality of cells. The output is assigned to one of the plurality of cells. The plurality of cells and assigned output may be used to generate a driving difficulty heat map for the geographic area.

Abstract: A method for autonomous vehicle test data distribution and analysis is described. The method includes uploading driving session data from a computer of a drive site to a network attached storage of the drive site. The method also includes uploading the driving session data from the network attached storage of the drive site to a cloud-based storage location. The method further includes distributing the driving session data from the cloud-based storage location and a work unit to at least one research site separate from the drive site. The method also includes processing, by the at least one research site, the driving session data according to an analysis/processing task associated with the work unit.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to system and method for cleaning surfaces using drones. The method includes identifying, by a first drone, a cleaning strip in contact with a surface. The cleaning strip connects a second drone and a third drone. The second drone is communicatively coupled with the third drone. The first drone is communicatively coupled with each of the second drone and the third drone. The method further includes releasing a cleaning agent at a preconfigured pressure upon a current target region of the surface near the cleaning strip. The method further includes relocating the cleaning strip upon the current target region. The method further includes performing a set of oscillations through the cleaning strip across the current target region. Each of the set of oscillations includes coordinating a displacement of the cleaning strip by a predefined distance, alternating towards each of ends of the cleaning strip.

Abstract: This document describes methods by which a system determines a pickup/drop-off zone (PDZ) to which a vehicle will navigate to perform a ride service request. The system will define a PDZ that is a geometric interval that is within a lane of a road at the requested destination of the ride service request by: (i) accessing map data that includes the geometric interval; (ii) using the vehicle's length and the road's speed limit at the destination to calculate a minimum allowable length for the PDZ; (iii) setting, start point and end point boundaries for the PDZ having an intervening distance that is equal to or greater than the minimum allowable length; and (iv) positioning the PDZ in the lane at or within a threshold distance from the requested destination. The system will then generate a path to guide the vehicle to the PDZ.

Abstract: A method controlling a vehicle moving along a guideway for magnetic flight is provided. The method includes receiving, at a controller, data generated by one or more sensors. The controller receives data relating to a projected flight path of the vehicle. The controller determines an altitude of the vehicle relative to the guideway for magnetic flight and determines a speed of the vehicle relative to the guideway for magnetic flight. The controller then calculates a deviation of the vehicle from the projected flight path. The controller adjusts the altitude of the vehicle relative to the guideway for magnetic flight by changing certain aspects of a magnetic flight suspension system causing the vehicle to more closely track the projected flight path.

Abstract: A remote driving service processing device includes a general user terminal by which a remote driving service is requested for moving a vehicle to a destination, a remote operation terminal by which the vehicle is remotely operated, and a server that, if the vehicle does not satisfy a requirement for ending the remote driving service when the vehicle arrives at the destination, sends an and permission request to end the remote driving service, which is received from the remote operation terminal, to the general user terminal, and, when receiving a consent to end the remote driving service from the general user terminal as a response to the end permission request, sends the consent to end to the remote operation terminal and ends the remote driving service.

Abstract: A method for use in traversing a vehicle transportation network by an autonomous vehicle (AV) includes traversing, by the AV, the vehicle transportation network. Traversing the vehicle transportation network includes identifying a distinct vehicle operational scenario; instantiating a first decision component instance; receiving a first set of candidate vehicle control actions from the first decision component instance; selecting an action; and controlling the AV to traverse a portion of the vehicle transportation network based on the action. The first decision component instance is an instance of a first decision component modeling the distinct vehicle operational scenario.

Abstract: A maintenance prediction system for generating one or more recommended actions for an individual to perform upon a vehicle is disclosed, and includes a camera configured to capture image data of one or more components of interest and image data of one or more body size parameters of the individual. The maintenance prediction system also includes one or more assembly databases storing three-dimensional model data representing components of the vehicle, one or more processors in electronic communication with the camera and the one or more assembly databases, and a memory coupled to the one or more processors. The maintenance prediction system generates one or more notifications indicating the recommended actions for the individual to perform upon the vehicle.

Abstract: Provided is a control technique for achieving formation control which is applicable even when there is a non-connection location in a common portion between a set of initial positions of robot units and a set of target positions of the robot units.

Abstract: Methods are provided for remotely starting up one or a plurality of vehicles. These methods involve starting up hardware and/or software modules of the vehicle in a particular order so as to account for dependencies among the various modules. In one form, states of various hardware and/or software modules in the vehicle, and errors observed in starting up various modules and troubleshooting is applied in an automated manner. Moreover, the methods may involve ensure proper startup of modules for performing a localization procedure for the vehicle.

Abstract: A moving robot according to an aspect of the present invention includes a body configured to define an exterior, a travelling unit configured to move the body against a travelling surface of a travelling area, a storage configured to store a grid map corresponding to a travelling area and cost information of grids included in the grid map, and a controller configured to generate a movement route based on the cost information, control the travelling unit to travel according to the generated movement route, and increase a stay cost of a grid corresponding to a route that has passed during the travelling and control the storage to store the increased stay cost.

Abstract: An automatic driving executability determination unit restricts automatic driving when a charge amount determination unit (third determination unit) determines that a battery is in a low capacity state, and decides whether to restrict the automatic driving according to a determination result of a discharge performance determination unit (first determination unit) when a temperature determination unit (second determination unit) determines that the battery is in the low capacity state but a charge amount determination unit determines that the battery is not in the low capacity state.

Abstract: Route planning for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) includes obtaining a route between an origin and a destination, where the route is optimized for at least one of a noise level or energy consumption of an engine of the HEV that is used to charge a battery of the HEV, and where the route comprises respective engine activation actions for at least some segments of the route; and controlling the HEV to follow the segments of the route and to activate the engine according to the respective engine activation actions.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a process is performed during controlling Autonomous Driving Vehicle (ADV). Microphone signals sense sounds in an environment of the ADV. The microphone signals are combined and filtered to form an audio signal having the sounds sensed in the environment of the ADV. A neural network is applied to the audio signal to detect a presence of an audio signature of an emergency vehicle siren. If the siren is detected, a change in the audio signature to make a determination as to whether the emergency vehicle siren is a) moving towards the ADV, or b) not moving towards the ADV. The ADV can make a driving decision, such as slowing down, stopping, and/or steering to a side, based on if the emergency vehicle siren is moving towards the ADV.

Abstract: A navigation system for a vehicle comprises onboard sensors including a vision sensor, and an onboard map database of terrain maps. An onboard processer, coupled to the sensors and map database, includes a position PDF filter, which performs a method comprising: receiving image data from the vision sensor corresponding to terrain images captured by the vision sensor of a given area; receiving map data from the map database corresponding to a terrain map of the area; generating a first PDF of image features in the image data; generating a second PDF of map features in the map data; generating a measurement vector PDF by a convolution of the first PDF and second PDF; estimating a position vector PDF using a non-linear filter that receives the measurement vector PDF; and generating statistics from the estimated position vector PDF that include real-time measurement errors of position and angular orientation of the vehicle.

Abstract: An operation management apparatus includes a plan generator configured to generate a travel plan for each of a plurality of vehicles that form a line of vehicles and that travel autonomously along a predetermined travel route; a communication device configured to transmit the travel plans to the respective vehicles and receive, from the vehicles, travel information that indicates travel status of the vehicles; and an operation monitor configured to detect, based on the travel information, whether or not overtaking and passing of the vehicles have occurred. In response to the overtaking and passing, the plan generator modifies the travel plans so as to keep the order as switched upon the overtaking and passing.

Abstract: A terminal device includes a communication unit configured to communicate with a communication device used in a vehicle and a control unit configured to determine whether a user is in the vehicle when a signal sent from the communication device is received via the communication unit, according to at least one of whether a destination has been set by the user and whether a vehicle dispatch application is activated. The vehicle dispatch application is a program for receiving a vehicle dispatch service.

Abstract: A travel path data generation apparatus for generating travel path data inside an intersections for automated driving includes a travel path data generator that generates the data of the travel path in such a way that, using an absolute trajectory of actual traveling of a vehicle inside the intersection, the travel path data generator fits an estimated trajectory of the actual traveling of the vehicle inside the intersection into data of lane network connected to the intersection.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for guiding a vertical takeoff and landing, VTOL, vehicle to an emergency landing zone. The systems and methods include determining, via at least one processor, candidate landing zone data by interrogating an emergency landing zone database based at least on VTOL vehicle location, the candidate landing zone data representing a list of candidate emergency landing zones. A target emergency landing zone is selected from the list of candidate emergency landing zones based at least on VTOL vehicle related issues including at least one of unanticipated yaw issues, ground effect issues and modified trend vector issues, thereby providing target emergency landing zone data. Guidance for the VTOL vehicle is determined based on the target emergency landing zone data.

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.