A driver state detection device that accurately detects a state of a driver, such as fatigue and nodding off. A driver state detection device includes an acceleration sensor installed in a vehicle, a center-of-gravity movement amount detection unit that is attached to a component constituting the vehicle and detects a center-of-gravity movement amount of a body of a driver on the vehicle, and a driver state determination unit that determines a state of the driver based on magnitude of an amount of deviation between an acceleration of the vehicle obtained by the acceleration sensor and the center-of-gravity movement amount of the body of the driver detected by the center-of-gravity movement amount detection unit.

A method comprises determining the distance between a first transceiver unit and a second transceiver unit, wherein the first transceiver unit is mounted on a vehicle and the second transceiver unit is mounted on a trailer connected to the vehicle. The method also includes determining at least one parameter relating to the trailer, taking into account the distance between the first transceiver unit and the second transceiver unit.

A device and operating method are provided for an interaction between a vehicle, which can travel in an at least partially automated manner, with an operator control element, which can be operated by the user of the vehicle for influencing at least the transverse guidance of the vehicle. A wheel positioning angle and/or a drive torque or braking torque at at least one wheel of the vehicle can be controlled in response to an operator control action at the operator control element or as a function of a control unit for controlling at least partially automated travel. Depending on the degree of haptic contact between the user of the vehicle and the operator control element, at least one movement of the vehicle can be executed on the basis of one or more operator control actions of the user and/or on the basis of data of the control unit for controlling the at least partially automated travel.

A robotic cart platform with a navigation and movement system that integrates into a conventional utility cart to provide both manual and autonomous modes of operation. The platform includes a drive unit with drive wheels replacing the front wheels of the cart. The drive unit has motors, encoders, a processor and a microcontroller. The system has a work environment mapping sensor and a cabled array of proximity and weight sensors, lights, control panel, battery and on/off, GO and emergency stop buttons secured throughout the cart. The encoders obtain drive shaft rotation data that the microcontroller periodically sends to the processor. When in autonomous mode, the system provides navigation, movement and location tracking with or without wireless connection to a server. Stored destinations are set using its location tracking to autonomously navigate the cart. When in manual mode, battery power is off, and back-up power is supplied to the encoders and microcontroller, which continue to obtain shaft rotation data. When in autonomous mode, the shaft rotation data obtained during manual mode is used to determine the present cart location.

A road surface condition assessing device includes: a tire-mounted device; and a vehicle body system. The tire-mounted device includes: a vibration detector that outputs a detection signal of a vibration on a tire; a waveform processor that generates the road surface data; and a first data communication unit. The vehicle body system includes: a second data communication unit; and a road surface evaluation unit that evaluates the road surface condition. The tire-mounted device transmits an advertise signal including the road surface data indicative of a result of a waveform process on the detection signal and a waveform processing value corresponding to the road surface condition. The vehicle body system evaluates the road surface condition based on the waveform processing value.

A road surface determination apparatus includes an acceleration detector and a road surface determination unit. The acceleration detector is configured to detect an acceleration of a vehicle body or a vibration transmission member configured to transmit vibration from a tire to the vehicle body. The road surface determination unit is configured to determine a condition of a surface of a road, using a determination value obtained by extracting a component of a predetermined frequency band from the acceleration detected by the acceleration detector and integrating the component.

An occupant support adapted for use in a vehicle includes a seat bottom, a seat back, and a sensory system. The seat bottom is coupled to a floor of the vehicle. The seat back extends upwardly away from the seat bottom. The sensor system is configured to monitor for fatigue of an occupant of the occupant support.

A method and a device are provided for deactivating a driver assistance system for autonomous transverse guidance of a vehicle, which driver assistance system has a sensor unit for detecting a contact with the rim of a steering wheel by a driver, and a control unit which detects, via the detected contact, a request by the driver to transfer from the autonomous transverse guidance into a manual transverse guidance by the driver. The pressure sensor constitutes at least one pressure sensor, which extends over at least that part of the surface of the steering wheel rim which is usually touched by the driver's hands. It does not extend over the area of the surface of the steering wheel rim which, viewed in a cross section of the steering wheel rim, describes an approximately circular-segment-shaped arc which extends over a sector angle of the order of magnitude of 90, which arc is spaced apart as far as possible from the center point of the steering wheel.

A physical quantity sensor includes a driven section and a drive spring that supports the driven section so that the driven section is displaceable in a first direction. The drive spring has a serpentine shape and includes a plurality of spring structures extending in a second direction that intersects a first direction. At least one of the spring structures has a thin section that is thinner in a third direction that intersects the first and second directions than the other portions of the drive spring.

Among other things, techniques are described for receiving, from at least one sensor of a vehicle, a sensor measurement indicative of at least one of a sound or a vibration associated with a road element; identifying the road element based on a pattern in the sensor measurement; determining, based on the road element, a vehicle behavior for the vehicle; and controlling the vehicle to operate according to vehicle behavior.