An axle load monitoring system for a load-transporting motor vehicle having one or more auxiliary axles wherein the monitoring system detects a noncompliant carrying-weight condition when the current gross vehicle weight is more than a prescribed maximum allowable gross vehicle weight assigned thereto and/or the current carrying weight of any primary axle and any designated axle group is more than a prescribed maximum allowable carrying weight assigned thereto. And if the current gross vehicle weight is equal to or less than the prescribed maximum allowable gross vehicle weight and the current center of gravity of the vehicle is in a compliance-manageable range which is established by the monitoring system and specific to the vehicle, the monitoring system recommends auxiliary axle usage that would result in compliance with the prescribed maximum and minimum allowable carrying weight assigned to each of the primary axles, any designated axle group and any utilized auxiliary axle.

The invention relates to a tracked vehicle (10; 11) comprising a vehicle body (30, 32; 30), at least one track assembly (21) and a suspension device (S) for suspension of said track assembly (21) to said vehicle body (30) of said tracked vehicle (10; 11). Said track assembly (21) comprises a track support beam (22), a plurality of road wheels (23, 23a), at least one drive wheel (24), and an endless track (25). Said track support beam (22) is arranged to support said at least one drive wheel (24) and a plurality of road wheels (23, 23a). Said endless track is disposed around said at least one drive wheel (24) and plurality of road wheels (23, 23a). Said suspension device (S) comprises two pendulum arms (52, 54) which in one end are rotatably attached to a respective fastening point (P1b, P2b) in said vehicle body (30; 32, 30) and in the other end are rotatably attached to a respective fastening point (P1a, P2a) in the track support beam (22) of said track assembly (21). Said suspension device (S) comprises distance adjustment means (58) which is arranged to allow one or more of: a distance change between said two fastening points (P1a, P2a) in the track assembly (21); a distance change between the two fastening points (P1b, P2b) in the vehicle body (30); and a distance change between the fastening point (P1b, P2b) in the vehicle body (30; 32, 30) and the fastening point (P1a, P2a) in the track support beam (22) of said track assembly (21) of at least one of the pendulum arms (52, 54), so as to allow a tilting movement of the track assembly (21), including said at least one drive wheel (24) and plurality of road wheels (23, 23a), relative to the vehicle body in a plane extending in the longitudinal direction of said track assembly (21) essentially orthogonal to the transversal extension of said track assembly (21).

An active suspension control system and method for individually controlling a suspension assembly of each wheel of a vehicle in response to driving conditions, each suspension assembly including an adjustable suspension spring having a hollow, fluidically sealed cylinder and a piston having a shaft and a head, the cylinder having an upper chamber divided from a lower chamber by the piston head, the lower chamber being adjacent to the piston shaft coupled to the corresponding wheel assembly, each chamber of the upper and lower chambers of the suspension spring having a port fluidly coupled to a fluid line and a valve of a valve assembly, wherein the extension or retraction of each adjustable suspension spring is controlled by an electronic controller by selectively introducing and/or removing a volume of a fluid from the upper and/or lower chambers of said adjustable suspension spring through the fluid line.

The invention relates to a method for compensating for vertically oriented movements of a superstructure of a vehicle. The vehicle is provided with the superstructure and with an active undercarriage having a plurality of wheels which are in contact with the carriageway, wherein each wheel is connected via an actuator adjustable over its length at a wheel assigned to a suspension point with the superstructure. Vertically oriented movements of the superstructure are caused by an inclination of the carriageway and by unevennesses of the carriageway, a first change of the length of at least one actuator is carried out for frequencies in a first, lower frequency range, and a second change of the length of the at least one actuator is carried out for frequencies in a second, higher frequency range.

The invention relates to a method for determining a parameter indicative of a road capability of a road segment supporting a vehicle. The vehicle comprises a plurality of ground engaging members. The method comprises: for each ground engaging member in a sub-set of the plurality of ground engaging members, setting a contact force between the ground engaging member and the road segment; determining a target global load vector to be imparted to the vehicle, the target global load vector comprising at least a vertical load and an inclining moment, determining contact forces for the ground engaging members of the plurality of ground engaging members which are not in the sub-set such that the contact forces for the plurality of ground engaging members together result in a resulting global load vector, a difference measure between the resulting global load vector and the target global load vector being equal to or lower than a predetermined difference measure threshold, applying the contact force to each ground engaging member of the plurality of ground engaging members, for at least one ground engaging member in the sub-set, determining a parameter indicative of the road capability of the road segment associated with the ground engaging member.

A method for performing open-loop or closed-loop control of a driver's cab mount of a motor vehicle, wherein the driver's cab mount has dampers whose damper force can be adjusted, wherein the motor vehicle can be operated in a first driving mode in which the motor vehicle automatically carries out vehicle guidance comprising both a longitudinal guidance operation and a transverse guidance operation of the motor vehicle, and in a second driving mode where the motor vehicle can be controlled by the driver, in which driving mode a driver of the motor vehicle is intended to carry out at least part of the vehicle guidance, wherein when the motor vehicle is operated in the first driving mode, the adjustable dampers of the driver's cab mount are actuated or adjusted in such a way that pitching or rolling movements are reduced compared to the second driving mode.

A modular mobility base for a modular autonomous bot apparatus transporting an item being shipped including a mobile base platform, a component alignment interface, a mobility controller, a propulsion and steering system, and sensors. The component alignment interface provides an alignment channel into which another modular component can be placed and secured on the platform. The mobility controller generates propulsion control signals for controlling speed of the modular mobility base and steering control signals for navigation of the modular mobility base. The propulsion system is connected to the platform and responsive to the propulsion control signal. The steering system is connected to the mobile base platform and is responsive to the steering control signal to cause changes to directional movement of the modular mobility base. The sensors are disposed on the platform provide feedback sensor data to the mobility controller about a condition of the modular mobility base.

A detachable modular mobile autonomy module (MAM) for a modular autonomous bot apparatus includes a housing with latching points, an autonomous controller, location circuitry, external sensors monitoring an environment external to the MAM and providing sensor data to the controller, multi-element light panels on the housing driven by the controller; and a modular component power and data bus. The bus has a bottom side modular component electronics interface disposed on the housing that mates to a corresponding interface on another proximately-attached modular component of the bot. The MAM receives sensor data from the external sensors, receives outside sensor data from additional sensors disposed on a mobility unit of the bot, generates steering and propulsion control output signals based on location data from the location circuitry, external sensor data, mobility unit sensor data, and destination information data maintained by the controller, and generates transport and delivery information for the light panels.

Methods are described that perform a dispatched inventory operation related to an inventory item within a modular autonomous bot apparatus assembly and a dispatch server. modular mobile autonomy control module (MAM) receives an inventory dispatch command from the dispatch server and a modular cargo storage system (CSS) receives the inventory item at an inventory hub location. The MAM autonomously causes the assembly to then move to a remote business facility as a destination location, receive authentication input from an authorized delivery recipient, coordinates with the CSS to provide selective access to the inventory item, detects when the inventory item has been removed from within the CSS, and autonomously causes the assembly to move on a return route back to the inventory hub location after removal of the inventory item.

A modular auxiliary power module is described for a modular autonomous bot apparatus that transports an item being shipped. The modular auxiliary power module includes a base adapter platform, a cargo door, an auxiliary power source, and an output power outlet disposed on the base adapter platform as part of a modular component electronics interface. A top side of the base adapter platform has a cargo support area configured to support the item being shipped. Interlocking alignment interfaces (such as channels or latches) are on the top and bottom of the platform. The cargo door is movably attached to and extending from an edge of the base adapter platform, and the output power outlet is coupled to the auxiliary power source and provides access to power for other components of the modular autonomous bot apparatus from the auxiliary power source.