A vehicle includes actuator systems that are able to cause motion of the vehicle, a thermal management system that controls temperatures for the actuator systems, and a vehicle control module that is operable to determine a control strategy to achieve a desired vehicle motion, output commands to the actuator systems to achieve the desired vehicle motion, determine thermal regulation requirements for the control strategy, and control operation of the thermal management system according to the thermal regulation requirements.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a vehicle control system comprising a speed control system, the speed control system being configured automatically to attempt to cause a vehicle to operate in accordance with a target speed value by causing a first vehicle speed value determined according to a first predetermined method to become or be maintained substantially equal to the predetermined target speed value at least in part by causing application of positive drive torque to one or more wheels by means of a powertrain, wherein the speed control system is configured to impose a constraint on the amount of driving torque that may be demanded of the powertrain in dependence on the target speed value and a second vehicle speed value determined according to a second predetermined method, said a second predetermined method being based on the mean speed of the driven wheels of the vehicle.

A vehicle behavior control device for controlling a vehicle equipped with a steering apparatus comprises: a PCM operable to acquire a steering speed in the steering apparatus, and, when the steering speed becomes equal to or greater than a given threshold (T.sub.S1) which is greater than 0, to reduce a driving force for the vehicle according to the steering speed, wherein the steering apparatus comprises a steering shaft coupled to the steering wheel and rotatable together with the steering wheel, wherein the steering shaft has a torsion bar whose torsional rigidity about a rotational axis of the steering shaft is less than a remaining portion of the steering shaft. The steering speed acquisition section is configured to acquire the steering speed of the steering apparatus at a position on the side of the front road wheels with respect to the low rigidity portion.

Among other things, techniques are described for receiving, from at least one sensor of a vehicle, sensor data associated with a surface along a path to be traveled by a vehicle; using a surface classifier to determine a classification of the surface based on the sensor data; determining, based on the classification of the surface, drivability properties of the surface; planning, based on the drivability properties of the surface, a behavior of the vehicle when driving near the surface or on the surface; and controlling the vehicle based on the planned behavior.

Among other things, techniques are described for receiving, from at least one sensor of a vehicle, sensor data associated with a surface along a path to be traveled by a vehicle; using a surface classifier to determine a classification of the surface based on the sensor data; determining, based on the classification of the surface, drivability properties of the surface; planning, based on the drivability properties of the surface, a behavior of the vehicle when driving near the surface or on the surface; and controlling the vehicle based on the planned behavior.

A control system includes a plurality of request generation devices each of which outputs first and second requests based on a request generated by at least one application, an arbitrator that arbitrates the first and second requests and that outputs a single first request and a single second request, and a control apparatus that controls an actuator based on a final request obtained by arbitrating the first and second requests from the arbitrator and a request made by a driver. The arbitrator specifies the request generation device that has output a request corresponding to the final request based on the final request, the self-output first request, and the self-output second request. The request generation device specified by the arbitrator specifies the application that has generated the request corresponding to the final request based on the self-output first request, the self-output second request, and the request made by the driver.

A control system includes a plurality of request generation devices each of which outputs first and second requests based on a request generated by at least one application, an arbitrator that arbitrates the first and second requests and that outputs a single first request and a single second request, and a control apparatus that controls an actuator based on a final request obtained by arbitrating the first and second requests from the arbitrator and a request made by a driver. The arbitrator specifies the request generation device that has output a request corresponding to the final request based on the final request, the self-output first request, and the self-output second request. The request generation device specified by the arbitrator specifies the application that has generated the request corresponding to the final request based on the self-output first request, the self-output second request, and the request made by the driver.

A soil measure, such as a soil cone index, and a vehicle index indicating the amount of force the vehicle exerts on the ground as it travels over the ground, are obtained and compared to identify a soil damage score. The soil damage score can be mapped over a field and an agricultural vehicle can be controlled based upon the soil damage score. In another example, a detector detects a fill level of a material storage compartment on an agricultural vehicle. The inflation pressure of tires on the agricultural vehicle is controlled based upon the detected fill level.

A soil measure, such as a soil cone index, and a vehicle index indicating the amount of force the vehicle exerts on the ground as it travels over the ground, are obtained and compared to identify a soil damage score. The soil damage score can be mapped over a field and an agricultural vehicle can be controlled based upon the soil damage score. In another example, a detector detects a fill level of a material storage compartment on an agricultural vehicle. The inflation pressure of tires on the agricultural vehicle is controlled based upon the detected fill level.

A method of maintaining stability of a motor vehicle having a first axle, a second axle, and a steering actuator configured to steer the first axle includes determining localization and heading of the vehicle. The method also includes determining a current side-slip angle of the second axle and setting a maximum side-slip angle of the second axle using the friction coefficient at the vehicle and road surface interface. The method additionally includes predicting when the maximum side-slip angle would be exceeded using the localization, heading, and determined current side-slip angle as inputs to a linear computational model. The method also includes updating the model using the prediction of when the maximum side-slip angle would be exceeded to determine impending instability of the vehicle. Furthermore, the method includes correcting for the impending instability using the updated model and the maximum side-slip angle via modifying a steering angle of the first axle.