[Abstract] A damage reduction device according to an embodiment of the present technology includes an input unit, a prediction unit, a recognition unit, and a determination unit. The input unit inputs status data regarding a status in a moving direction of a moving body apparatus. The prediction unit predicts a collision with an object in the moving direction on the basis of the status data. The recognition unit recognizes whether the object includes a person. The determination unit determines, when the collision with the object is predicted and it is recognized that the object includes a person, a steering direction of the moving body apparatus in which a collision with the person is avoidable, on the basis of the status data.

Methods, systems, and computer program products are described herein for automatic collision avoidance and/or bodily injury mitigation. For example, a vehicle determines the optimal action(s) to take to avoid a collision or reduce the bodily injury of occupant(s) of the vehicle in the event that the vehicle determines that the collision is unavoidable. The vehicle performs action(s) that reduce the change of momentum experienced by occupant(s) thereof as a result of the collision. The actions are based on various characteristics of the vehicles that are to be involved in the collision. Such actions may comprise accelerating into and causing a collision with vehicle(s) in front of the vehicle at or around the same time at which a further vehicle rear-ends the vehicle. The system processes several scenarios in real-time (taking into changes of velocity of the vehicles involved) to determine the scenario that best mitigates the change of momentum.

An integrated control apparatus and method for a vehicle are provided. The integrated control apparatus for the vehicle includes: a sensor unit comprising one or more sensing devices provided in the vehicle, wherein each of the one or more sensing devices provides driving environment information by sensing driving environments of the vehicle; an integrated control unit configured to generate one or more control commands for driving control of the vehicle based on one or more pieces of driving condition information of the vehicle received from a network of the vehicle and each driving environment information received from the sensor unit, mediate the generated control commands according to priorities determined based on driving safety of the vehicle and assigned to the respective control commands, and generate a final control command in which output response characteristic of the driving control according to the control command having higher priority is optimized.

An object of the present invention is to enhance the reliability of an autonomous driving system. The autonomous driving system includes: a higher-level control device 1 that outputs a control target value of an actuator group based on an action plan of a vehicle; and a lower-level control device 2 that controls the actuator group of the vehicle based on a command from the higher-level control device 1. The lower-level control device 2 holds the control target value of the vehicle provided by the higher-level control device 1 over a specific period. When the higher-level control device 1 does not satisfy a desired function, the lower-level control device 2 is configured to be controlled based on the held control target value. The action plan is followed by determining and correcting a difference between an actual action value and the control target value of the vehicle.

Provided is a vehicle travel control device which simultaneously achieves the behavioral stability of a vehicle and the continuity of travel assistance during vehicle travel assistance. The setting range of controlled variable to an actuator in travel assistance control is limited on the basis of the information having higher priority among road type information and road shape information. Thus, compared to when the setting range of the control variable is determined on the basis of only the road type information or the road shape information, it is possible to suppress excessive limitations on the applicable range/duration time of travel assistance.

A driving support device that controls a steering unit such that a hitch angle between a tow vehicle, which tows a towed vehicle, and the towed vehicle becomes a target angle set as a target includes: an image control unit that causes a display unit to perform display of a captured image obtained by an imaging unit provided in the tow vehicle or the towed vehicle in a mirror image state and display of a setting image including a slider indicating the target angle input through an input unit; an acquisition unit that acquires input of the target angle at the time of backward movement of the tow vehicle from the input unit, in a state where the setting image is displayed; and a setting unit that sets the target angle based on the input.

A control apparatus of a self-driving vehicle with a self-driving capability including a slip detector detecting a slip generated at four drive wheels, a direction detector detecting a direction of a vehicle body, and a microprocessor and a memory. The microprocessor is configured to perform: calculating target torques of the four drive wheels in accordance with an action plan; correcting the target torques so as to decrease the target torque of the first drive wheel when the slip of the first drive wheel is detected, and thereafter so as to increase the target torque of the second drive wheel and decrease the target torque of the fourth drive wheel when a deviation of the detected direction from a target traveling direction is greater than or equal to a predetermined deviation; and controlling a driving part in accordance with the corrected target torque.

A tow support device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires a connection angle between a tow vehicle and a towed vehicle; a setting unit that sets a target region to which at least the towed vehicle is movable; a course acquisition unit that acquires transition of a moving course of the towed vehicle based on a change in the connection angle in a case where the tow vehicle travels backward; and an output unit that outputs a first steering angle of the tow vehicle for maintaining the connection angle in a case where the moving course that transitions to correspond to backward traveling of the tow vehicle is a recommended moving course on which the towed vehicle is movable to the target region.

A method for operating a speed control system of a vehicle is provided. The method comprises detecting an occurrence of a slip event, of a step encounter event, or of both events at a leading wheel of the vehicle. The method also comprises predicting that the occurrence of the detected event(s) will occur at a following wheel of the vehicle. The method yet further comprises automatically controlling vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, or both vehicle speed and acceleration in response to the detection, the prediction, or both the detection and prediction. A speed control system comprising an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to perform the above-described methodology is also provided.

Provided are self-powered actively steerable converter dollies (SPASCDs) for long combination vehicles (LCVs), LCVs utilizing SPASCDs, and methods of operating such LCVs. These SPASCDs could be used with conventional tractors and/or specifically configured tractors. A SPASCD may include an electrical drive, which can generate power (e.g., to charge SPASCD's battery) or generate torque using the electrical power stored in SPASCD's battery (e.g., to assist the tractor during acceleration or going uphill). The SPASCD also comprises steerable wheels and a steering component, configured to change the steering angle of the steerable wheels. The steering angle may be changed in response to various inputs, such as the steering angle of the tractor's front steerable wheels, the steering angle of the steerable wheels of another trailer in the same LCV, sensor inputs, and the like. This steering feature allows change the track of the SPASCD, e.g., to follow the tractor's track.