A vehicle control apparatus is a vehicle control apparatus includes a recognizer configured to recognize a vehicle A traveling in front of a host vehicle in a first lane in which the host vehicle travels, and a vehicle B traveling between the vehicle A and the host vehicle in a traveling direction in a second lane adjacent to the first lane, which are detected by a detector that detects a situation of a periphery of the host vehicle, an estimator configured to estimate a likelihood of changing lanes into the first lane by the vehicle B recognized by the recognizer, and a vehicle controller configured to control a speed of the host vehicle on the basis of a speed of the vehicle A and an estimation result of the estimator.

A work vehicle may include an engine, a drive train driven by the engine, and a track system including at least one track. The track system is connected to the drive train. The work vehicle may further include a temperature sensor configured to sense a track temperature of the at least one track and a vehicle control system configured to receive the track temperature and to determine misalignment of the at least one track based at least in part upon the sensed track temperature.

A work vehicle may include an engine, a drive train driven by the engine, and a track system including at least one track. The track system is connected to the drive train. The work vehicle may further include a temperature sensor configured to sense a track temperature of the at least one track and a vehicle control system configured to receive the track temperature and to determine misalignment of the at least one track based at least in part upon the sensed track temperature.

A vehicle combining the attributes of a tractor and a utility vehicle includes a three point linkage and other locations to which a plurality of attachments for performing grooming or working operations on a ground or turf surface may be couple. The vehicle includes a front mounted engine, a mid-mounted operator compartment and a rear mounted bed or box. A PTO shaft and/or a hydraulic power system of the vehicle power attachments that require power. A control system and a visual display and data entry device linked thereto are provided for allowing an authorized person to setup, store and thereafter use an operational profile for each attachment that is to be coupled to the vehicle. In a rate dependent attachment, the control system maintains the ground speed and the attachment implement in a fixed ratio. A down/up control is used to signal the start and end of an operational sequence to the control system.

A vehicle combining the attributes of a tractor and a utility vehicle includes a three point linkage and other locations to which a plurality of attachments for performing grooming or working operations on a ground or turf surface may be couple. The vehicle includes a front mounted engine, a mid-mounted operator compartment and a rear mounted bed or box. A PTO shaft and/or a hydraulic power system of the vehicle power attachments that require power. A control system and a visual display and data entry device linked thereto are provided for allowing an authorized person to setup, store and thereafter use an operational profile for each attachment that is to be coupled to the vehicle. In a rate dependent attachment, the control system maintains the ground speed and the attachment implement in a fixed ratio. A down/up control is used to signal the start and end of an operational sequence to the control system.

An inter-vehicle distance control device that achieves inter-vehicle distance control satisfying the driver includes a preceding vehicle velocity computation part that computes a preceding vehicle velocity on the basis of a host vehicle velocity and a relative velocity of the preceding vehicle, a target inter-vehicle setting art that sets a target inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle on the basis of the preceding vehicle velocity, a target track generator that generates a target track and a target track differential, the target track defining a time history lasting until the initial value of the inter-vehicle distance reaches the target inter-vehicle distance, and a feedback controller that computes a feedback acceleration command by multiplying a deviation of the inter-vehicle distance from the target track and a deviation of the relative velocity from the target track differential value by a gain. The feedback acceleration command is output as an acceleration command.

A system and method for computationally estimating a tire normal force for use in vehicle antilock braking, adaptive cruise control, and traction and stability control by correcting measured accelerations with respect to the estimated road angles. The system and method are operative to measure an acceleration at three points on a sprung mass of the vehicle and estimate a tire normal force of a tire in response to the three acceleration measurements as an input to the vehicle controller.

A system and method for computationally estimating a tire normal force for use in vehicle antilock braking, adaptive cruise control, and traction and stability control by correcting measured accelerations with respect to the estimated road angles. The system and method are operative to measure an acceleration at three points on a sprung mass of the vehicle and estimate a tire normal force of a tire in response to the three acceleration measurements as an input to the vehicle controller.

A speed control system for an agricultural system having an agricultural vehicle includes a control system. The control system instructs an engine to maintain a constant speed, determines a first estimated speed of the agricultural vehicle associated with increasing a gear index of a step ratio transmission, determines a second estimated speed of the agricultural vehicle associated with decreasing the gear index of the step ratio transmission, instructs the step ratio transmission to increase the gear index if the first estimated speed is closer to a target speed than the second estimated speed and a current speed of the agricultural vehicle, and instructs the step ratio transmission to decrease the gear index if the second estimated speed is closer to the target speed than the first estimated speed and the current speed.

A speed control system for an agricultural system having an agricultural vehicle includes a control system. The control system instructs an engine to maintain a constant speed, determines a first estimated speed of the agricultural vehicle associated with increasing a gear index of a step ratio transmission, determines a second estimated speed of the agricultural vehicle associated with decreasing the gear index of the step ratio transmission, instructs the step ratio transmission to increase the gear index if the first estimated speed is closer to a target speed than the second estimated speed and a current speed of the agricultural vehicle, and instructs the step ratio transmission to decrease the gear index if the second estimated speed is closer to the target speed than the first estimated speed and the current speed.