A self-propelled device is provided including a drive system, a spherical housing, and a biasing mechanism. The drive system includes one or more motors that are contained within the spherical housing. The biasing mechanism actively forces the drive system to continuously engage an interior of the spherical housing in order to cause the spherical housing to move.

The vehicle-mounted power source device comprising: a low-voltage battery; a high-voltage battery; a boost unit that boosts electrical power for charging the high-voltage battery; a solar panel that converts solar light to electrical power; a bi-directional buck-boost unit that boosts/bucks the electrical power converted by the solar panel; and a control unit that performs control in a manner so as to charge the low-voltage battery by means of electrical power of which the voltage has been altered by the buck-boost unit. When the amount of stored electrical power at the low-voltage battery is at least a predetermined value, the control unit performs control in a manner so that the electrical power stored at the low-voltage battery is boosted by the boost unit and the bi-directional buck-boost unit, and the high-voltage battery is charged by means of the boosted electrical power.

A vehicle is provided with an electrical storage device, a first connector capable of charging and discharging the power of the electrical storage device, a second connector capable of charging and discharging the power of the electrical storage device, and an ECU for controlling charging and discharging performed via the first connector and the charging and discharging performed via the second connector. The ECU selects and implements any one of the following according to the operation of an operation unit provided to a first plug connected to the first connector: discharging from the electrical storage device via the first connector, charging to the electrical storage device via the first connector, discharging from the electrical storage device via the second connector, and charging to the electrical storage device via the second connector.

A power transmission device of a work vehicle includes a generator, a motor, and an energy storage unit. The energy storage unit stores electricity generated by the generator. A forward/backward travel switch operation device receives an instruction for forward or backward travel from an operator. A vehicle speed detection unit detects the speed of the vehicle. A control unit includes an energy management requirement determination unit. The energy management requirement determination unit determines, on the basis of the difference between a target electricity storage amount and a current electricity storage amount in the energy storage unit, the energy management required power required by the power transmission device for charging the energy storage unit. The energy management requirement determination unit increases the target electricity storage amount when a first travel direction according to the instruction and a second travel direction determined from the vehicle speed are different.

A power supply system and method for a vehicle movable within a structure is provided. The power supply system includes at least one energy source arranged at a fixed location within the structure to transmit energy within the structure, and a receiver, arranged on the vehicle to receive the energy transmitted from the energy source, being configured to convert the energy to electrical power and/or thrust.

A drive and control system is disclosed for use on a zero turn vehicle having a pair of drive motors, an operator drive input capable of providing a drive signal corresponding to a desired drive status by an operator and an operator steering input capable of providing a steering signal corresponding to a desired steering of the vehicle. Sensors on the vehicle generate signals corresponding to roll, pitch and yaw. A stability control module includes a processor receiving the steering and drive inputs and provides output signals to the drive motors. Upon initialization of the vehicle, the processor determines initial orientation parameters from the sensors and determines if the input and steering are in neutral. When the drive input is not in neutral, and the steering is in neutral, the processor determines desired pitch, yaw and roll parameters. The processor receives additional sensor signals during operation to monitor pitch and roll of the vehicle and if a measured parameter exceeds the desired parameter, the processor will vary the output signals to the drive motors to provide a heading correction to the vehicle.

Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, an engine may be started in one of two ways depending on operating conditions. In particular, the engine may be started via a lower power output electric machine or a higher power output electric machine.

A vehicle system includes a processing device programmed to monitor a vehicle battery, predict a vehicle maneuver, and determine whether the vehicle battery has sufficient charge for a vehicle to execute the predicted maneuver. The processing device is further programmed to perform a preparatory action if the vehicle battery lacks sufficient charge for the vehicle to execute the predicted maneuver.

A control system for a hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a rotary electric machine, a battery, a cooling fan configured to cool the battery, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine an operation of the cooling fan based on charged-discharged electric power of the battery and presence or absence of a charging request that is based on an intention of a user. The controller is configured to control the operation of the cooling fan such that the battery is cooled more in a case where the charging request is present than in a case where the charging request is absent with the same charged-discharged electric power.

A universal traction device for movement over even and uneven supporting surfaces that includes an all-terrain wheel having a circular wheel assembly with a plurality of spoke-containing components arrayed around an outer perimeter wheel edge and control means for extending spokes from the spoke-containing units when encountering an obstacle that the vehicle is to traverse and retracting the spokes when the spokes are no longer required for traversing the obstacle.