A spherical body drive type movement device 10 includes rotary bodies 14, 15, and 16 rotating n number of driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13 by being rotationally driven in a state of being in contact from two different directions with each of the driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13, and moves on a traveling surface G. The rotary bodies 14, 15, and 16 come into contact with the driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13 at positions higher than centers P1, P2, and P3 of the driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13 in contact and inside a virtual inverted n-gonal pyramid H or, at positions higher than the centers P1, P2, and P3 of the driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13 in contact and on lateral faces α, β, and γ of the virtual inverted n-gonal pyramid H.

A working vehicle includes an inertia detector to measure inertia information of a vehicle body, a rear axle supporting a rear wheel, and a transmission case rotatably supporting the rear wheel. The inertia detector overlaps with at least a portion of the transmission case in a plan view and is capable of accurately measuring inertia information when a vehicle body changes attitude.

Systems and apparatuses for receiving data from a plurality of sensors and using the data, as well as other data, to generate a parking recommendation for an autonomous vehicle and instruct the autonomous vehicle to travel to the recommended parking location are provided. Data may be received from a plurality of sensors within a first autonomous vehicle, as well as from other vehicles and/or structures. Historical parking data associated with the first autonomous vehicle may also be extracted. In some examples, an expected future trip of the first autonomous vehicle may be determined. The system may then evaluate the data to generate a parking recommendation for the first autonomous vehicle. The system may generate and transmit instructions for traveling from a current location to the recommended parking location and may cause the first autonomous vehicle to travel to the recommended parking location.

A steering device according to the present invention includes: a steering input device including a reaction force actuator that applies a steering reaction force to a steering operation input member; and a control device including a steering gear ratio change unit that changes a steering gear ratio in accordance with a vehicle speed, a reaction force actuator control unit that controls an output amount of the reaction force actuator in accordance with an operation angular velocity of the steering operation input member, and a reaction force actuator output amount change unit that changes, based on the steering gear ratio, the output amount of the reaction force actuator. This makes it possible to set an appropriate steering reaction force applied to the steering operation input member, thereby stably reducing the operational burden on a driver.

A steering device according to the present invention includes: a steering input device including a reaction force actuator that applies a steering reaction force to a steering operation input member; and a control device including a steering gear ratio change unit that changes a steering gear ratio in accordance with a vehicle speed, a reaction force actuator control unit that controls an output amount of the reaction force actuator in accordance with an operation angular velocity of the steering operation input member, and a reaction force actuator output amount change unit that changes, based on the steering gear ratio, the output amount of the reaction force actuator. This makes it possible to set an appropriate steering reaction force applied to the steering operation input member, thereby stably reducing the operational burden on a driver.

An autonomous vehicle includes: a steering device configured to automatically control a steering angle of tires according to a traveling condition, the steering device being provided in an accommodating room that is separated from a passenger compartment by a partition member, and the steering device including a steered shaft, an actuator, and a gear mechanism; and a joint device provided in the accommodating room, the joint device being configured to mechanically connect an input shaft and a member including a rod-shaped body that is inserted from the passenger compartment into the accommodating room through an opening and closing portion formed in the partition member.

A method and apparatus is provided for controlling the operation of an autonomous vehicle. According to one aspect, the autonomous vehicle may track the trajectories of other vehicles on a road. Based on the other vehicle's trajectories, the autonomous vehicle may generate a pool of combined trajectories. Subsequently, the autonomous vehicle may select one of the combined trajectories as a representative trajectory. The representative trajectory may be used to change at least one of the speed or direction of the autonomous vehicle.

A moving system includes a first driving wheel and a second driving wheel associated to a supporting structure and rotatable to move the system forward or backward on a supporting surface. The first and the second driving wheel each include a spherical portion, the first driving wheel being rotatable around a first rotation axis and the second driving wheel being rotatable around a second rotation axis. The moving system further includes an inclination system that varies the inclination of the first rotation axis of the first driving wheel and/or of the second rotation axis of the second driving wheel so as to vary the diameter of the rotation circumference formed by the points of contact with the ground.

A moving system includes a first driving wheel and a second driving wheel associated to a supporting structure and rotatable to move the system forward or backward on a supporting surface. The first and the second driving wheel each include a spherical portion, the first driving wheel being rotatable around a first rotation axis and the second driving wheel being rotatable around a second rotation axis. The moving system further includes an inclination system that varies the inclination of the first rotation axis of the first driving wheel and/or of the second rotation axis of the second driving wheel so as to vary the diameter of the rotation circumference formed by the points of contact with the ground.

Heating and/or cooling a vehicle interior, and in particular a steering wheel, may include receiving a heating/cooling request, automatically directing heated/cooled air from an HVAC duct through louvers adjacent to a steering wheel into a passenger compartment, and automatically rotating the steering wheel back-and-forth to change the location where the heated/cooled air is blown onto the steering wheel. This may include automatically telescoping and automatically tilting the steering wheel as well. Moreover, an infrared camera may be employed to determine where best to rotate the steering wheel for heating/cooling.