The technology relates to detecting and responding to processions. For instance, sensor data identifying two or more objects in an environment of a vehicle may be received. The two or more objects may be determined to be disobeying a predetermined rule in a same way. Based on the determination that the two or more objects are disobeying a predetermined rule, that the two or more objects are involved in a procession may be determined. The vehicle may then be controlled autonomously in order to respond to the procession based on the determination that the two or more objects are involved in a procession.

An operating mode control device includes a travel driving force information acquisition unit configured to acquire a time-series travel driving force when traveling on a travel route; a vehicle speed information acquisition unit configured to acquire a time-series vehicle speed when traveling on the travel route; a motor operation estimation unit configured to estimate a time-series torque and rotation speed of the motor on the basis of a time-series travel driving force and vehicle speed; an efficiency calculation unit configured to acquire a time-series efficiency value of each operating mode on the basis of the time-series torque and rotation speed and calculate a total efficiency value; an operating mode determination unit configured to determine the operating mode having the highest total efficiency value as a default operating mode; and an operation control unit configured to control an operation by the default operating mode.

Methods and system are described for adjusting an attitude of an airborne vehicle according to terrain where the vehicle is expected to land. In one example, torque output of an electric machine is adjusted to change a pitch of a vehicle to conform to a pitch of terrain where the vehicle is expected to land so that vehicle stability may be improved.

An autonomous vehicle is provided with a touch panel that enables an operator to input vehicle speed control instructions during an automatic driving mode and a mechanical operation unit for inputting driving control instructions. When the driving mode of the autonomous vehicle is the automatic driving mode or a semi-automatic driving mode, a driving control unit of the autonomous vehicle prioritizes a vehicle speed control instruction input from the touch panel over a vehicle speed control instruction input from the mechanical operation unit and executes vehicle speed control for the autonomous vehicle based on the prioritized instruction.

Technologies and techniques for the restrained movement of a vehicle with a drive unit for accelerating the vehicle, and a braking unit for braking the vehicle. A restraining drive torque is generated by the drive unit, and a braking torque is generated by the braking unit to compensate for the restraining drive torque and thereby to generate a restraining torque in the vehicle, and braking the vehicle by reducing the drive torque. A device and a computer program product may be configured to implement the restraining movement processes and a storage may be configured with a processor to execute the computer program product.

Systems and methods of controlling a vehicle in a stable drift are provided. With the goal of enhancing the driver experience, the disclosed drift control systems provide an interactive drift driving experience for the driver of a vehicle. In some embodiments, a driver is allowed to take manual control of a vehicle after a stable drift is initiated. For safety reasons, an assisted driving system may provide corrective assistance to prevent the vehicle from entering an unstable/unsafe drift. In other embodiments, an autonomous driving system retains control of the vehicle throughout the drift. However, the driver may perform “simulated drift maneuvers” such as counter-steering, and clutch kicking in order to communicate their desire to drift more or less aggressively. Accordingly, the autonomous driving system will effectuate the driver's communicated desire in a manner that keeps the vehicle in a safe/stable drift.

A vehicle control device includes: a control portion that makes, of a plurality of shock absorbers included in a vehicle, a first damping force of at least one shock absorber that is located on a first direction side on which acceleration acts in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle larger than a second damping force of at least one shock absorber of the plurality of shock absorbers that is located on a second direction side opposite to the first direction in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle before acceleration acting on the vehicle is detected by an acceleration sensor due to acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle.

Industrial vehicles that include a speed sensor configured to generate a speed sensor signal, a payload sensor configured to generate a payload sensor signal, an inclination sensor configured to generate an inclination sensor signal, a wheel motor connected to a wheel of the industrial vehicle, and a controller. The wheel motor includes an electric retarder device for applying a retardation force to the wheel. The controller is configured to receive the speed sensor signal, receive the payload sensor signal, receive the inclination sensor signal, determine a required retardation force for the industrial vehicle based on the payload sensor signal and the inclination sensor signal, determine an available retardation force for the industrial vehicle based on the speed sensor signal, and generate an output indicating the required retardation force for the industrial vehicle relative to the available retardation force for the industrial vehicle.

A vehicle running control device that is provided with an accelerating-decelerating operation element with an operation range inclusive of a driving range and a braking range includes the following. An input-output section that receives various information including information on a direction in which the vehicle is currently running, a determining section that determines whether the vehicle is in a switch-back state, and an acceleration-deceleration control section that controls the vehicle running. When a braking-driving request value for an operation of the accelerating-decelerating operation element is in the braking range and the determining section determines that the vehicle is in the switch-back state, the acceleration-deceleration control section keeps the braking-driving force at a braking-driving force that is applied to the vehicle when a shift range switch request is accepted.

In one embodiment, static-state curvature error compensation control logic for autonomous driving vehicles (ADV) receives planning and control data associated with the ADV, including a planned steering angle and a planned speed. A steering command is generated based on a current steering angle and the planned steering angle of the ADV. A throttle command is generated based on the planned speed in view of a current speed of the ADV. A curvature error is calculated based on a difference between the current steering angle and the planned steering angle. The steering command is issued to the ADV while withholding the throttle command, in response to determining that the curvature error is greater than a predetermined curvature threshold, such that the steering angle of the ADV is adjusted in view of the planned steering angle without acceleration.