A system for controlling vehicle functions based on monitored driving performance includes one or more sensors that capture performance-based data characterizing driving-performance implicating behaviors of a driving team during one or more driving campaigns. The performance-based data is analyzed according to one or more performance indicators to determine a compatibility score for the driving team that characterizes how driving team composition affects driving performance. One or more vehicle functions can then be controlled one or more vehicle functions based on compatibility scores for various driving teams.

A control device executes caster angle change control for controlling a driving force applying device or each of the driving force applying device and a braking force applying device to reduce a caster angle of a steered tire-wheel assembly when a steering request is received in a stopped state or in a creeping state without exceeding a predetermined vehicle speed at a point starting from the stopped state. In the caster angle change control, the control device applies, to one tire-wheel assembly out of a front tire-wheel assembly and a rear tire-wheel assembly, a driving force in a direction toward the other tire-wheel assembly and applies, to the other tire-wheel assembly, a braking force or a driving force in a direction toward the one tire-wheel assembly to achieve the stopped state or the creeping state in response to a request for acceleration or deceleration.

An embodiment driving assistance system for a vehicle includes a driving information provision unit configured to acquire and provide driving information of a traveling vehicle, a control unit configured to generate and output a control signal for driving assistance when it is determined the vehicle travels on a rough road based on the driving information of the vehicle provided by the driving information provision unit and it is determined that the vehicle is currently in a rough road traveling state, and a steering actuator configured to generate and apply a steering assistance force according to a control value of the control signal for the driving assistance output by the control unit to a steering wheel.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: perform a follow-up steering control for changing a steering angle of a vehicle in such a manner that the vehicle travels along a target traveling line determined based on a preceding vehicle trajectory, which is a travel trajectory of a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle; and when a first distance condition and a manual steering condition are both satisfied while the follow-up steering control is being performed, stop the follow-up steering control, the first distance condition being a condition satisfied when a deviation distance in a road-width direction between the preceding vehicle trajectory and the vehicle is equal to or longer than a predetermined first threshold, and the manual steering condition being a condition satisfied when a driver operates a steering wheel to change a position in the road-width direction.

A vehicle includes a powertrain having an electric machine and a controller. The controller is programmed to, responsive to an accelerator pedal position exceeding a first threshold for a predetermined time period or a lateral acceleration of the vehicle being greater than a second threshold, transition the powertrain from a nominal driving mode to a performance driving mode. The controller is also programmed to, responsive to an increase in a steering wheel angle while in the nominal mode, maintain a power output of the electric machine at a driver demanded power defined by the accelerator pedal position. The controller is further programmed to, responsive to an increase in a steering wheel angle while in the performance driving mode, reduce a power output of the electric machine to less than the driver demanded power.

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for predicting movement of a user of a vehicle. The apparatus may include an acceleration sensor that senses an acceleration of the vehicle, a braking controller that automatically controls a deceleration of the vehicle, a steering controller that automatically controls a direction of the vehicle, and a control circuit electrically connected to the acceleration sensor, the braking controller, and the steering controller, where the control circuit may monitor an operation of the braking controller, and predict a movement of the user of the vehicle based on a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle sensed by the acceleration sensor and a first predetermined parameter when braking by the braking controller is detected.

A road friction coefficient of a vehicle is estimated by obtaining substantially contemporaneous values associated with a steering angle for a steered axle of the vehicle, a lateral acceleration, a yaw acceleration, an alignment torque and an axle load on the steered axle; estimating a lateral tire force on the basis of the steering angle, lateral acceleration, and yaw acceleration; deriving a pneumatic trail from the alignment torque and estimated lateral tyre force; and estimating a road friction coefficient from the lateral tire force, the axle load, and the pneumatic trail. In embodiments, the derivation of the road friction coefficient includes evaluating a nonlinear function of the pneumatic trail.

A method for generating a vehicle trajectory by optimizing a performance measure J. The trajectory may include a sequence of states x=(x.sub.k).sub.k=1.sup.N of the vehicle. The optimization is subject to predefined vehicle dynamics x.sub.k+1=f(x.sub.k, u.sub.k), where u.sub.k is a control input to the vehicle, and a condition that each position of the vehicle shall be close to a reference path X.sup.r. The vehicle's position is constrained inside a variable-width corridor around the reference path. A quantity r controlling the width of the corridor is included as an additional optimization variable and the performance measure includes a penalty on the corridor width. To define the corridor, each point of the reference path may be associated with a pair of laterally spaced ellipses and requiring each vehicle position to be outside the ellipses.

Detecting operator contact with a steering wheel, including: applying a torque to at least a portion of a steering system of an autonomous vehicle; identifying a measured torque for a steering wheel of the autonomous vehicle; calculating, based on the applied torque, an expected torque for the steering wheel; and determining, based on a difference between the measured torque and the expected torque, whether an operator of the autonomous vehicle is in contact with the steering wheel.

A vehicle, and a method and system for operating the vehicle. The system includes a processor. The processor receives a driver input at the vehicle, determines a current lateral force on a tire of the vehicle for the driver input, determines a desired yaw rate and lateral velocity for the vehicle based on the current lateral force on the tire that operates the vehicle at a maximum yaw moment, and operates the vehicle at the desired yaw rate and lateral velocity.