A driving assistance apparatus includes a memory and a processor in communication with the memory and configured to execute instructions stored in the memory operable to determine at least one surrounding vehicle based on location information of the at least one surrounding vehicle, wherein the at least one surrounding vehicle is configured to receive at least one vehicle signal from a host vehicle. The processor is further configured to determine a line of sight (LOS) of the at least one surrounding vehicle based on the at least one vehicle signal, wherein the line of sight is defined by a perceivability of a driver of the at least one surrounding vehicle to view the at least one vehicle signal. The processor is further configured to determine a confidence level of the at least one surrounding vehicle based on the determined LOS.

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving vehicle behavior planning to avoid undertaking maneuvers. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a driving context from sensor data about a surrounding environment of an ego vehicle. The driving context identifying lanes of a roadway and a position of the ego vehicle in the lanes. The method includes, in response to determining that the driving context and a state of a nearby vehicle satisfy a merge threshold, generating a trajectory for the ego vehicle that avoids undertaking the nearby vehicle. The method includes controlling the ego vehicle according to the trajectory.

A system for controlling platooning by a following vehicle includes a main body of the following vehicle. The system further includes a pressure sensor located in or on the main body and configured to detect a pressure corresponding to a pressure wake from a leading vehicle. The system further includes an electronic control unit (ECU) located in or on the main body, coupled to the pressure sensor, and configured to determine an optimal distance from the following vehicle to the leading vehicle based on the detected pressure. The optimal distance corresponding to a distance at which drag applied to the following vehicle is reduced based on the pressure wake from the leading vehicle.

Using a read sensor to sense wrong-way driving. A method may include sensing, by a rear sensor of a vehicle, an environment of the vehicle to provide rear sensed information; processing the rear sensed information to provide at least one rear-sensed vehicle progress direction indications; generating or receiving at least one front-sensed vehicle progress direction indications; wherein the at least one front-sensed vehicle progress direction indications is generated by processing front-sensed information acquired during right-way progress; comparing at least one rear-sensed vehicle progress direction indications to the at least one front-sensed vehicle progress direction indications to determine whether the vehicle is wrong-way driving; and responding to the finding of the wrong-way driving.

A crosswind effect estimation device is mounted in a vehicle and configured to estimate an effect on the vehicle due to a crosswind. The crosswind effect estimation device includes a processor configured to i) acquire information on the crosswind in a predetermined region forward of the vehicle in a traveling direction of the vehicle, ii) acquire information on a shielding object that is located on a windward side in a direction of the crosswind, and iii) estimate the effect on the vehicle due to the crosswind based on the acquired information on the crosswind and the acquired information on the shielding object.

A vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle using a vehicle control apparatus includes: a sensor configured to detect a state outside a subject vehicle; and a control device. The vehicle control method includes: executing control of recovering a travel trajectory of the subject vehicle to a target trajectory, as ordinary control, by giving a steering amount in a lateral direction with respect to a travel lane of the subject vehicle; using detection data of the sensor to determine whether or not another vehicle is traveling in an adjacent lane to the travel lane of the subject vehicle; and when determining that the other vehicle is traveling in the adjacent lane ahead of the subject vehicle, increasing a response of the steering amount to a higher response than that in the ordinary control, before the subject vehicle passes the other vehicle.

A control device of a vehicle is configured to control travelling of the vehicle such that the vehicle follows a preceding vehicle based on information received from the preceding vehicle, and determine, based on information regarding a cargo space of the preceding vehicle, an inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle when the vehicles stop. Upon the preceding vehicle having stopped, the device stops the vehicle such that a distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle becomes the inter-vehicle distance determined by the device.

A system and method for the detection of inconsistencies in perception systems of autonomous vehicles is described. The system receives the observations of objects in the surrounding environment from one or more sensors or perception systems of an automated vehicle. At actual time, the system estimates the consistency of the currently observed elements of the perception system according to the previous inputs received. This consistency is decided by calculating the boundaries of possible states of the previously observed elements, based on the received information and on assumptions.

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving vehicle behavior planning to avoid undertaking maneuvers. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a driving context from sensor data about a surrounding environment of an ego vehicle. The driving context identifying lanes of a roadway and a position of the ego vehicle in the lanes. The method includes, in response to determining that the driving context and a state of a nearby vehicle satisfy a merge threshold, generating a trajectory for the ego vehicle that avoids undertaking the nearby vehicle. The method includes controlling the ego vehicle according to the trajectory.

An adaptive automatic transmission control system responds to stopping of a vehicle for reducing torque absorption by an automatic transmission and movement of and range to obstructions forward from a vehicle for reengaging the automatic transmission after a stop. The torque converter is released from its reduced torque absorption mode under one of three circumstances: 1) the brake pedal is released; 2) the detected obstruction moves outside a first predefined maximum range; and, 3) the detected obstruction moves outside a second predefined maximum range and at greater than a predefined minimum speed.