Provided is a driving evaluation device that enables evaluation of driving for the purpose of improving a driving time in a circuit racecourse. The driving evaluation device includes an evaluation section extractor 24 that detects a deceleration section and an acceleration section in cornering, a tire friction circle-load factor calculator 27 that calculates, based on a front-rear acceleration and a lateral acceleration, a tire friction circle and a tire load factor in the deceleration section and those in the acceleration section, and a skill deficiency evaluator 28 that evaluates driving based on the tire friction circle and the tire load factor in the deceleration section and those in the acceleration section.

A vehicle including an electric motor has improved operating performance of a brake lamp using regenerative braking. A method of controlling a brake lamp of the vehicle includes determining a tendency of a driver, calculating a corrected mass based on the determined tendency of the driver, and calculating corrected acceleration based on the corrected mass and regenerative braking torque of the electric motor. An on threshold is corrected based on a difference between a requested torque and the regenerative braking torque at a time at which an accelerator pedal is released, and the brake lamp is turned on based on the corrected on threshold and the corrected acceleration.

A system includes a vehicle parameter estimation module and a vehicle actuator control module. The vehicle parameter estimation module is configured to generate a first estimate of a vehicle parameter based on operating conditions of a vehicle measured or estimated at a first time. The vehicle parameter includes at least one of a tire cornering stiffness of the vehicle and an understeer coefficient of the vehicle. The vehicle parameter estimation module is also configured to determine an error value based on the first estimate of the vehicle parameter and values of the vehicle operating conditions measured or estimated at a second time that is later than the first time. The vehicle parameter estimation module is further configured to generate a second estimate of the vehicle parameter based on the first estimate of the vehicle parameter and the error value. The vehicle actuator control module is configured to control an actuator of the vehicle based on the second estimate of the vehicle parameter.

A method for determining the payload mass resting on a wheel of a vehicle. In the method: using a level sensor system, in a time period in which the vehicle is moved, a time series of measured values is detected, which each indicate the vertical position of the vehicle body in relation to the wheel; a model is provided for the temporal development of the vertical position under the influence of the gravitational force of vehicle body and payload, an elastic suspension between the vehicle body and the wheel of the vehicle, and a damping of the vertical relative movement between the vehicle body and the wheel of the vehicle, the model being parameterized at least using the sought payload mass and the wheel of the vehicle and the connection of the wheel to the roadway being assumed to be rigid.

Techniques are described for an autonomous vehicle to provide the autonomous vehicle's health-related information, identification information, and/or inspection information to a device that may be used by law enforcement or a government agency or a third-party so that the autonomous vehicle can comply with government regulations and can continue to operate on the road.

A dynamic velocity planning method for an autonomous vehicle is performed to plan a best velocity curve of the autonomous vehicle. An information storing step is performed to store an obstacle information, a road information and a vehicle information. An acceleration limit calculating step is performed to calculate the vehicle information according to a calculating procedure to generate an acceleration limit value range. An acceleration combination generating step is performed to generate a plurality of acceleration combinations according to the obstacle information, the road information, and the acceleration limit value range. An acceleration filtering step is performed to filter the acceleration combinations according to a jerk threshold and a jerk switching frequency threshold to obtain a selected acceleration combination. An acceleration smoothing step is performed to execute a driving behavior procedure to adjust the selected acceleration combination to generate the best velocity curve.

Terrain characteristics of an off-road area are determined based on a map. The terrain characteristics include a terrain type, a terrain grade, and a presence or an absence of an obstacle. Vehicle characteristics are determined including a ground clearance and a breakover angle. Based on a user level, vehicle parameters for the off-road area are determined based on the terrain characteristics, the vehicle characteristics, and the user input. The vehicle parameters include a speed and a transmission gear. The vehicle parameters for the off-road area are output.

An apparatus and method for controlling articulation of an articulated vehicle may prevent jackknifing of the articulated vehicle driven backwards. The apparatus includes a hitch angle calculator configured to calculate a desired hitch angle based on a steering angle and a speed of the articulated vehicle, an error calculator configured to calculate an error between the desired hitch angle and an actual hitch angle of the articulated vehicle, a moment generator configured to generate a moment for controlling the articulation of the articulated vehicle based on the error, and an articulation controller configured to control the articulation of the articulated vehicle based on the moment.

A system is provided for vehicle range prediction. The system determines a change in mass to a vehicle while driving. Additionally, the system calculates a vehicle load in response to determining the change in mass and adjusts a vehicle range in response to calculating the vehicle load. The vehicle range is indicative of a distance in which the vehicle is predicted to travel with a remaining fuel. The adjusted vehicle range is based on the vehicle load.

An autonomous vehicle can obtain sensor data. Upon determining that the autonomous vehicle is in a lane adjacent a shoulder, and there is an object in the shoulder, the autonomous vehicle can determine if performing a lane change maneuver out of the lane prior to the autonomous vehicle being positioned adjacent to the object is feasible. If it is, the lane change maneuver can be performed. If it is not, a nudge maneuver and/or a deceleration can be performed.