Systems and methods for identifying thermal run-away events in a battery pack can include using sensing circuits made up of series- or parallel-linked thermistors to measure subsets of the individual battery cells in a battery pack. Using multiple sensing circuits, a monitoring system can positively identify when a threshold temperature of any single battery cell has been reached even though individual temperatures are not monitored, and can generate a signal indicative of a thermal run-away event based on the detected temperature.

An autonomous electric vehicle comprises a battery electrically connected to the electric motor for powering the electric motor and a battery status prediction module to predict, based on event data from a mobile device of a user of the vehicle, whether the vehicle will be parked at a destination and a time period when the vehicle will be parked. The battery status prediction module predicts a predicted battery status at the end of the time period based on a temperature profile for the time period obtained from a remote weather server. The battery status prediction module determines if the predicted battery status at the end of the time period will have at least a minimum battery capacity to travel a distance to a charging station determined by the battery status prediction module from the destination and a location of the charging station.

An automated package retrieval system is provided. The automated package retrieval system includes a hub apparatus that includes multiple docking stations for multiple delivery devices, a power supply unit coupled to the hub apparatus, and a controller. The controller is configured to instruct at least one of the delivery devices to travel to a location to deliver an item ordered by a user. Once it is determined that the user has not retrieved the item from the delivery device, the delivery device is instructed to return to the hub apparatus. In response to detecting the user in proximity to the hub apparatus after the delivery device has returned to the hub apparatus, the user is provided with access to a storage compartment of the delivery device.

Integration between unmanned aerial system and unmanned ground robotic vehicle are disclosed herein. One variation of a robotic system may generally comprise an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), and a base station configured to receive the UAV and replace a spent power supply cartridge from the UAV and further having a charging mechanism configured to wirelessly transfer power to the UGV when the UGV is positioned in proximity to the charging pad.

Operation and motion control, by a vehicle's ADAS or AD features, is improved in ways suitable to EVs having higher driving and handling performance. The vehicle dynamic model for high rates of lateral acceleration (e.g., sharp cornering or taking curves having a small radius of curvature as faster speeds) is improved by one or more of optimizing time cornering stiffness with a sigmoid function and/or altering front/rear steering angle to account for roll steer and compliance steer, based on vehicle testing. Indicators for lane departure warning or collision warning, evasive steering, or emergency braking are therefore reliably extended to allow higher performance maneuvers.

A vehicle information DB holds information on whether or not a vehicle falls under a welfare vehicle provided with an assistance apparatus for a driver who has a lower limb impairment. A power feed facility DB holds position information of a power feed facility and information indicating whether the power feed facility falls under a contact type power feed facility or a wireless power feed facility. A processing apparatus creates a travel route such that a larger number of wireless power feed facilities are included along the travel route when the vehicle falls under the welfare vehicle than when the vehicle does not fall under the welfare vehicle.

A robotic vehicle (10) may include a chassis supporting a storage tank in which an aqueous solution is contained, a mobility assembly operably coupled to the chassis to provide mobility for the robotic vehicle about a service area (20), a positioning module (60) configured to provide guidance for the robotic vehicle (10) during transit of the robotic vehicle (10) over the service area (20), a spray assembly (90) and control circuitry (12).

A robotic vehicle (10) charging station (40) may include a charge interface configured to charge a battery (210) of a robotic vehicle (10) responsive to docking of the robotic vehicle (10) at the charging station (40), and a mixing assembly (240) configured to facilitate mixing a solid material and a liquid to form an aqueous solution for provision to a storage tank (14) of the robotic vehicle.

A method is provided. An airship is maneuvered to a desired location and oriented with the thruster such that ambient wind is traveling in a direction that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage. The airflow from the ambient wind is straightened with the flow straightener to generate a substantially laminar flow. The turbine is engaged with the airflow generated by the ambient wind to generate electricity, and the electricity generated by the turbine is rectified with the rectifier and stored in the storage array.

A method is provided. An airship is maneuvered to a desired location and oriented with the thruster such that ambient wind is traveling in a direction that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage. The airflow from the ambient wind is straightened with the flow straightener to generate a substantially laminar flow. The turbine is engaged with the airflow generated by the ambient wind to generate electricity, and the electricity generated by the turbine is rectified with the rectifier and stored in the storage array.