Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, location and method, for operation with a flight management system, has a controlled access UAV zone for at least one of: UAV landing, UAV loading, and UAV take-off. A sensor can be in communication with a control panel and/or a lock to govern access to the UAV zone. The zone can have a barrier with closure secured by the lock, and controlled by a flight management system. Separate access codes can be provided for departure and destination locations, to enable personnel associated with a delivery request to access those locations, to effect delivery of an article. The codes can be generated and supplied when the flight management system receives a valid delivery request.

Abstract: Methods and systems for autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicle routing are disclosed. Roadway suitability for autonomous operation is scored to facilitate use in route determination. Maps of roadways suitable for various levels of autonomous operation may be generated. Such map data may be used by autonomous vehicles or other computer devices in determining routes based upon criteria for vehicle trips. Such routes may be automatically updated based upon changes in road conditions, vehicle conditions, operator conditions, or environmental conditions. Emergency routing using such map data is described, such as automatic routing and travel when a passenger is experiencing a medical emergency.

Abstract: Among other things, a determination is made of and ability of an autonomous vehicle to safely or robustly travel a road feature or a road segment or a route that is being considered for the autonomous vehicle as of a time or range of times. The route conforms to properties of stored road network information. The road feature or road segment or route is eliminated from consideration if the computer has determined that the road feature or road segment or route cannot be safely or robustly traveled by the autonomous vehicle. The determination is based on analysis of performance of the autonomous vehicle.

Abstract: Vehicles and methods for determining an object of a driver's focus are disclosed. In one embodiment, a vehicle includes an object detection sensor configured to output an output signal, a sound detection sensor configure to output a sound signal, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to detect one or more objects based at least in part on the output signal of the object detection sensor, and detect speech based on the sound signal of the sound detection sensor. The electronic control unit is further configured to determine an object of focus based at least in part on a comparison of the speech and the one or more objects, and produce a control signal based at least in part on the object of focus.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle are disclosed. The system comprises an image sensor configured to generate output signals conveying visual information, the visual information including one or more images of a user, and one or more physical processors. The one or more physical processors are configured by computer-readable instructions to recognize one or more gestures from the user based on the visual information, interpret the one or more gestures from the user as flight control information, and provide flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the flight control information.

Abstract: Among other things, a determination is made of and ability of an autonomous vehicle to safely or robustly travel a road feature or a road segment or a route that is being considered for the autonomous vehicle as of a time or range of times. The route conforms to properties of stored road network information. The road feature or road segment or route is eliminated from consideration if the computer has determined that the road feature or road segment or route cannot be safely or robustly traveled by the autonomous vehicle. The determination is based on analysis of performance of the autonomous vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle configured to be autonomously navigated in a peloton along a roadway, wherein the peloton comprises at least the vehicle at least one additional vehicle, is configured to determine a position of the vehicle in the peloton which reduces differences in relative driving ranges among the vehicles included in the peloton. The vehicles can dynamically adjust peloton positions while navigating to reduce driving range differences among the vehicles. The vehicle can include a power management system which enables the vehicle to be electrically coupled to a battery included in another vehicle in the peloton, so that driving range differences between the vehicles can be reduced via load sharing via the electrical connection. The vehicle can include a power connector arm which extends a power connector to couple with an interface of another vehicle.

Abstract: A control device includes: a receiving unit that receives a request for processing; and a control unit that, in a case where the receiving unit receives a plurality of requests for processing from a plurality of places, controls a traveling route of a processing apparatus based on traveling time taken for the processing apparatus to travel to the plurality of places and processing time taken for the processing apparatus to finish the processing after traveling.

Abstract: A self-driving or autonomous vehicle comprises a processor to transmit an offer message to another vehicle and to receive a reply message from the other vehicle, and to transfer a payment to the other vehicle to obtain a traffic prioritization relative to the other vehicle. For example, the traffic prioritization may enable one vehicle to pass the other vehicle, to take precedence at an intersection or to be given priority to take a parking place or any other traffic-related advantage.

Abstract: An example method includes determining a path to be followed by a vehicle through an environment. The path includes an ordered sequence of positions. The method also includes determining an intersection between a first object in the environment and a first area planned to be occupied by the vehicle while moving along the path and, in response, sequentially testing the ordered sequence of positions to identify a first ordinal position in the ordered sequence of positions, where the first ordinal position corresponds to a second area planned to be occupied by the vehicle while moving along the path, and where the second area is within a threshold distance of the first object. The method additionally includes trimming the path to remove (i) the first ordinal position and (ii) any positions subsequent thereto and causing the vehicle to stop at an end of the trimmed path.

Abstract: An electric vehicle of the present disclosure includes a first electric motor, a second electric motor and a controller. The first electric motor co-rotates with a wheel when the electric vehicle is driven by only a driving torque from the second electric motor. The controller is programmed to increase or decrease the driving torque from the second electric motor in accordance with a driving state of the electric vehicle so as to shift a vehicle speed out of a predetermined low speed range when the electric vehicle is driven by only the driving torque from the second electric motor and the vehicle speed is included within the low speed range.

Abstract: A control system for an autonomous vehicle is disclosed. The control system may receive information that identifies distances, measured by a sensor of the autonomous vehicle, to different points of a roadway. The control system may generate a representation of a curve based on the information that identifies the distances. The representation of the curve may include a series of points that represent a curvature of the roadway. The control system may identify a point, of the series of points, that satisfies a condition based on the representation of the curve. The control system may store, in the memory, an indication that the point is a center point of the roadway.

Abstract: A system for securing an aerial vehicle to a lower portion of a docking station, including a docking station having a top section located in an upper portion of the docking station, the top section having an interface configured to hang the docking station above the ground and a bottom section located in a lower portion of the docking station, the docking station having a latching mechanism located on the bottom section, configured to secure the aerial vehicle to the docking station, the system also including the aerial vehicle having a docking member configured to dock the aerial vehicle into the docking station and to release the aerial from the latching mechanism of the docking station, and a processing module configured to control the operation of the docking member.

Abstract: A method includes receiving object data, by a controller of a host vehicle, from a plurality of sources, the plurality of sources including remote objects and a sensor system of the host vehicle; identifying, by the controller of the host vehicle, a target object using the object data from the plurality of sources, the object data including a target-object data, and the target-object data is the object data that specifically pertains to the target object determining, by the controller, that the target-object data is available from more than one of the plurality of sources; and in response to determining that the target-object data is available from more than one of the plurality of sources, fusing, by the controller, the target-object data that is available from more than one of the plurality of sources to create a single dataset about the target object.

Abstract: A surveying system for a construction site has a restricted antenna system with a plurality of fixed location antennas each defined by a set of location data associated with a specific deployment position. The surveying system also has a computing device with a data processor and a display screen. A communications module establishes a data transfer link with the restricted antenna system over which spatial data for distances between current positions of the computing device and one or more of the plurality of fixed location antennas are received. The computing device is loadable with project drawings corresponding to the construction site and displayable on the display screen. A position marker is overlaid on the display of the project drawing at a position thereon corresponding to a computing device location value derived from the spatial data and the location data of one or more of the fixed location antennas.

Abstract: A method for providing a route in response to a request includes receiving a request for a route, comprising a start location and an end location. The method further includes determining a source based at least in part on the request and obtaining route segments from the source. Additionally, the method includes generating a suggested route, comprising a plurality of the route segments, and transmitting the suggested route in response to the request. The suggested route is generated based at least in part on the start location, the end location, and the route segments. Systems for carrying out the method are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for digital twinning a refuse vehicle includes a refuse vehicle and a controller. The refuse vehicle includes a sensor, a device, and an electronic control system. The controller is configured to receive multiple datasets from at least one of the sensor, the device, and the electronic control system. The controller is also configured to generate a virtual refuse vehicle based on the plurality of datasets. The virtual refuse vehicle includes a visual representation of the refuse vehicle and the multiple datasets. Each of the multiple datasets are mapped to a corresponding one of the sensors or one of the electronic control systems. The controller is configured to operate a display of a user device to provide the visual representation of the refuse vehicle and one or more of the multiple datasets to a user.

Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle, such as an autonomous vehicle, includes the steps of receiving a message from roadside infrastructure via an electronic receiver and providing, by a computer system in communication with said electronic receiver, instructions based on the message to automatically implement countermeasure behavior by a vehicle system. Additionally or alternatively, the method may include the steps of receiving a message from another vehicle via an electronic receiver and providing, by a computer system in communication with said electronic receiver, instructions based on the message to automatically implement countermeasure behavior by a vehicle system.

Abstract: A control device is configured to cause a vehicle parked in a parking lot to move to a pick-up area in accordance with a call from a user of the vehicle. The control device includes a predicted time calculator and a moving-out vehicle determiner. The predicted time calculator is configured to, with regard to the vehicle that has arrived at the pick-up area in response to the call, acquire a user position and calculate a predicted user arrival time on the basis of the user position. The user position is a current position of the user. The predicted user arrival time is a time in which the user is predicted to arrive at the pick-up area. The moving-out vehicle determiner is configured to determine a moving-out vehicle on the basis of the calculated predicted user arrival time. The moving-out vehicle is a vehicle that is to be moved out of the pick-up area.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for ascertaining object kinematics of a movable object include: a trajectory calculation filter for calculating an estimated movement direction of the object based on a predicted position of the object and based on a position of the object specified in radar measurement data of the object; and a calculation unit for calculating Cartesian speeds of the object depending on a measured radial object speed and a measured object angle, which are specified in the radar measurement data, and depending on the estimated movement direction of the object that is calculated in the trajectory calculation filter.