Four-wheel steering of a vehicle, e.g., in which leading wheels and trailing wheels are steered independently of each other, can provide improved maneuverability and stability. A first vehicle model may be used to determine trajectories for execution by a vehicle equipped with four-wheel steering. A second vehicle model may be used to control the vehicle relative to the determined trajectories. For instance, the second vehicle model can determine leading wheels steering angles for steering leading wheels of the vehicle and trailing wheels steering angles for steering trailing wheels of the vehicle, independently of the leading wheels.

A vehicle control apparatus is provided with: an executor configured to perform an automatic steering control of steering a vehicle so as to go away from an avoidance target object; a determinator configured to determine, during execution of the automatic steering control targeting a first object, whether or not a second object is detected; and a comparator configured to compare a first interval, which is an interval between the vehicle and the first object, with a second interval, which is an interval between the vehicle and the second object. The executor is configured to change the offset amount to an offset amount corresponding to the second object if the second interval is narrower than the first interval, and to maintain the offset amount at an offset amount corresponding to the first object if the second interval is wider than the first interval.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to generating and utilizing three-dimensional terrain maps for vehicular control. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

A parking assist system with improved avoidance steering control and a method thereof are provided. The parking assist system includes a sensor fusion calculation module that fuses sensing data of an ultrasonic sensor and image data of an SVM camera to calculate position information of an object with respect to a current location of a vehicle and a parking assist module that avoids the object based on the position information and performs steering control of the vehicle for autonomous parking. The parking assist system accurately detects the object on a position departing from a field of view (FOV) of the ultrasonic sensor and performs avoidance steering robust to a surrounding object upon autonomous parking.

An apparatus for transporting a load is described, including: a body including a part or portion for engaging with or connecting to a load to be transported; a ground-engaging device supporting the body, the ground-engaging device for effecting movement of the body over a surface; a transmitter module; a receiver module; and a controller for communicating with the transmitter and receiver modules and the ground engaging device and for receiving status signals from components and/or devices of the apparatus, wherein the controller is capable of conducting a check as to the status of the components and/or devices of the apparatus, and after completing said check to provide an “apparatus operative” or “apparatus non-operative” signal to the transmitter module, wherein the transmitter module is configured to transmit the “apparatus operative” or “apparatus non-operative” signal, and wherein the receiver module is configured to receive from a first predetermined, or designated, other such apparatus its respective “apparatus operative” or “apparatus non-operative” signals.

A vehicle control apparatus acquires a position of an other vehicle that is present ahead of the own vehicle in its traveling direction, and uses the acquired position of the other vehicle to calculate a movement locus, which is a past path of the other vehicle. The vehicle control device calculates a lateral movement amount of the movement locus in a predetermined range in the traveling direction of the own vehicle, the lateral movement amount being an amount of change in position in a lateral direction which is a direction intersecting the traveling direction, and calculates an average value of the lateral movement amounts. The vehicle control apparatus excludes, from the movement loci, a movement locus having a lateral movement amount whose difference from the average value is larger than a predetermined value, and calculates the predicted path based on remaining movement loci.

A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for performing autonomous path navigation using deep neural networks. The method includes the steps of receiving image data at a deep neural network (DNN), determining, by the DNN, both an orientation of a vehicle with respect to a path and a lateral position of the vehicle with respect to the path, utilizing the image data, and controlling a location of the vehicle, utilizing the orientation of the vehicle with respect to the path and the lateral position of the vehicle with respect to the path.

A method limits a control variable for a motor of an electric power steering system for a motor vehicle having automated lateral control. The method receives a setpoint steering angle, determines the control variable in accordance with the setpoint steering angle, receives an actual steering angle, determines a virtual torsion-bar torque in accordance with the setpoint steering angle and the actual steering angle, determines at least one limit value for the control variable in accordance with the virtual torsion-bar torque, and limits the control variable in accordance with the at least one limit value.

A machine that can comprise a steering system configured to direct movement of the machine and a control system operably coupled for communication with the steering system. The control system can comprise a grade sensor, and a controller configured to determine a slope from an uphill side of the machine to a downhill side of the machine based on sensed data from the grade sensor. The controller can be further configured to control the steering system to limit a turn radius of the machine toward the uphill side of the frame based on the determined slope.

Four-wheel steering of a vehicle, e.g., in which leading wheels and trailing wheels are steered independently of each other, can provide improved maneuverability and stability. A first vehicle model may be used to determine trajectories for execution by a vehicle equipped with four-wheel steering. A second vehicle model may be used to control the vehicle relative to the determined trajectories. For instance, the second vehicle model can determine leading wheels steering angles for steering leading wheels of the vehicle and trailing wheels steering angles for steering trailing wheels of the vehicle, independently of the leading wheels.