A control system for a suspension height adjustment mechanism of a vehicle. The suspension height adjustment mechanism comprises a front suspension height adjustment mechanism at a front end of the vehicle and a rear suspension height adjustment mechanism at a rear end of the vehicle. The control system is configured to control the suspension height adjustment mechanism in response to user-generated control signals to: increase the height of at least the rear end of the vehicle to a first predetermined vehicle height corresponding to a High tow hitch height; and decrease the height of at least the rear end of the vehicle to a second predetermined vehicle height corresponding to a Low tow hitch height. Both the first and second predetermined vehicle heights are accessible from one or more other vehicle height that is different to the first and second predetermined heights. Decreasing the vehicle height from the High tow hitch height to the Low tow hitch height comprises the control system controlling the suspension height adjustment mechanism such that the height of the front end of the vehicle is decreased less than the height of the rear end of the vehicle.

A front suspension wheel for mobile robotic devices that can be compressed into or decompressed out of a main body of a mobile robotic device to facilitate driving the mobile robotic device over obstacles, thresholds and the like. The wheel will provide the mobile robotic device with information such as how fast the wheel is traveling. The wheel is easily removable by hand by the user.

A vehicle height adjustment apparatus according to one embodiment includes a spring, a spring-length changing unit, a first valve, a control valve and a second valve. The spring-length changing unit changes a length of the spring in accordance with an amount of oil in a jack chamber that accommodates the oil. The first valve opens and closes a first communication path in which the oil supplied from a pump is oriented toward a reservoir chamber that stores the oil. The control valve opens and closes a discharge flow path oriented toward the reservoir chamber from a chamber that accommodates the oil to close the first valve. The second valve opens and closes a second communication path in which the oil supplied from the pump is oriented toward the jack chamber when the first valve is closed.

A vehicle height adjustment device includes a spring having one end supported on a vehicle body side and another end supported on a wheel side. An adjustor includes an accommodation chamber accommodating fluid and adjusts a length of the spring in accordance with an amount of fluid in the accommodation chamber. A storage chamber stores fluid. A guide passage guides fluid from the accommodation chamber to the storage chamber. An actuator includes an operation rod to press a push rod. A valve body closes the guide passage when seated on a seat and opens the guide passage when pressed and detached from the seat by the push rod. A press member includes a contact portion and a shaft. The press member presses and seats the valve body on the seat. An accommodation member accommodates the valve body and the contact portion. A support member supports the shaft movably.

Methods and apparatus to control stability of a vehicle and trailer are disclosed. An example apparatus to control stability of a vehicle and trailer includes stability monitoring circuitry to determine, based on sensor data from one or more sensors of the vehicle, whether a vehicle stability condition associated with the vehicle is satisfied, and stability control circuitry to, in response to the vehicle stability condition not being satisfied, adjust a load distribution on front wheels and rear wheels of the vehicle by adjusting a vehicle pitch.

Systems and methods for modifying an attitude of a vehicle are disclosed. A user selects a trailer mode for a vehicle body. The selected trailer mode has a corresponding configuration. The vehicle determines one or more features about a trailer based on the selected trailer mode. The vehicle determines a location of a trailer hitch needed to achieve the configuration corresponding to the selected trailer mode. The location is based on the one or more features about the trailer. The vehicle actuates at least one active component in the vehicle's active suspension system to change the attitude of the vehicle body so as to cause the trailer hitch to be located in the determined location thereby causing the vehicle body to be in the selected trailer mode.

An example detection system includes a sensor, a first module, and a second module. The sensor is positioned at at least one of a center of gravity of a vehicle and a wheel of the vehicle. The sensor is configured to measure (a) a first measurement of a parameter of the vehicle prior to the wheel contacting the obstacle and (b) a second measurement of the parameter of the vehicle while the vehicle is contacting the obstacle. The first module is configured to determine whether a change is present in the vehicle based on the first and second measurements, calculate a dimension of the obstacle, and store a global positioning system (GPS) location of the obstacle. The second module configured to actuate an actuator of the vehicle when the vehicle approaches the GPS location of the obstacle prior to the vehicle reaching the GPS location of the obstacle.

Systems and methods for modifying an attitude of a vehicle are disclosed. A user selects a trailer mode for a vehicle body. The selected trailer mode has a corresponding configuration. The vehicle determines one or more features about a trailer based on the selected trailer mode. The vehicle determines a location of a trailer hitch needed to achieve the configuration corresponding to the selected trailer mode. The location is based on the one or more features about the trailer. The vehicle actuates at least one active component in the vehicle's active suspension system to change the attitude of the vehicle body so as to cause the trailer hitch to be located in the determined location thereby causing the vehicle body to be in the selected trailer mode.

A vehicle height adjustment device includes a cylinder, a piston, a rod, a spring, an adjustor, a storage chamber, and a passage switch unit. The piston divides a space inside the cylinder. The rod has one end in the axial direction holding the piston and has the other end supported at a vehicle wheel side. The spring has one end in the axial direction supported at the body side and has the other end supported at the wheel side. The adjustor includes an accommodation chamber of fluid and supports the one end of the spring to adjust a length of the spring in accordance with an amount of the fluid in the accommodation chamber. The passage switch unit closes an opening of the cylinder and includes first and second communication passages to switch a passage for the fluid in accordance with a movement of the piston.

A hydraulic system for an active chassis of a motor vehicle. The hydraulic system includes a plurality of hydraulic actuators, a plurality of hydraulic lines, a hydraulic accumulator, and an electro-hydraulic motor pumping unit, by way of which, during operation of the hydraulic system, a hydraulic fluid, in particular a hydraulic oil, is conveyable through the hydraulic lines. The hydraulic system also includes valves that are associated with the hydraulic actuators. The hydraulic system is designed to electronically control a selective filling of the hydraulic actuators with the hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic system includes a cooling apparatus having a cooling body, which is attached to the hydraulic accumulator.