Systems, apparatus and methods may be configured to implement actively-controlled light emission from a robotic vehicle. A light emitter(s) of the robotic vehicle may be configurable to indicate a direction of travel of the robotic vehicle and/or display information (e.g., a greeting, a notice, a message, a graphic, passenger/customer/client content, vehicle livery, customized livery) using one or more colors of emitted light (e.g., orange for a first direction and purple for a second direction), one or more sequences of emitted light (e.g., a moving image/graphic), or positions of light emitter(s) on the robotic vehicle (e.g., symmetrically positioned light emitters). The robotic vehicle may not have a front or a back (e.g., a trunk/a hood) and may be configured to travel bi-directionally, in a first direction or a second direction (e.g., opposite the first direction), with the direction of travel being indicated by one or more of the light emitters.

A method and system for operating restraint devices in a vehicle during a fast roll event or a slow roll event includes a lateral acceleration sensor and an angular rate sensor. When the angular rate and a vertical acceleration of the vehicle predict a vehicle rollover, the system integrates the lateral acceleration from the lateral acceleration sensor to obtain a roll rate velocity. When the lateral acceleration is greater than a fast lateral acceleration threshold and the roll rate velocity is greater than a fast roll rate velocity threshold, the system provides a fast roll event output. When the lateral acceleration is less than the fast lateral acceleration threshold and greater than a slow lateral acceleration threshold while the roll rate velocity is greater than a slow roll rate velocity threshold, the system provides a slow roll event output. The system operates restraint devices based on the roll event.

A method for the operation of a safety system of a motor vehicle in the event of a collision with a collision object, the acceleration of the motor vehicle being recorded by a plurality of collision sensors of the motor vehicle in various sensor data describing directions within the horizontal plane and being evaluated with regard to the triggering and/or an adaptation of an operating parameter as actions of restraint systems for occupants of the motor vehicle, wherein, of the sensor data, two motion values are determined which describe the motion of at least one occupant, especially all occupants, of the motor vehicle along at least one longitudinal direction and at least one transverse direction of the motor vehicle and which span a two-dimensional decision space, the ranges of action assigned to the actions being defined in the decision space and an action being carried out if the point in the decision space described by the motion values is within the range of action assigned to the action.

Systems, apparatus and methods may be configured to implement actively-controlled light emission from a robotic vehicle. A light emitter(s) of the robotic vehicle may be configurable to indicate a direction of travel of the robotic vehicle and/or display information (e.g., a greeting, a notice, a message, a graphic, passenger/customer/client content, vehicle livery, customized livery) using one or more colors of emitted light (e.g., orange for a first direction and purple for a second direction), one or more sequences of emitted light (e.g., a moving image/graphic), or positions of light emitter(s) on the robotic vehicle (e.g., symmetrically positioned light emitters). The robotic vehicle may not have a front or a back (e.g., a trunk/a hood) and may be configured to travel bi-directionally, in a first direction or a second direction (e.g., opposite the first direction), with the direction of travel being indicated by one or more of the light emitters.

Systems and methods implemented in algorithms, software, firmware, logic, or circuitry may be configured to process data and sensory input to determine whether an object external to an autonomous vehicle (e.g., another vehicle, a pedestrian, road debris, a bicyclist, etc.) may be a potential collision threat to the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be configured to implement active safety measures to avoid the potential collision and/or mitigate the impact of an actual collision to passengers in the autonomous vehicle and/or to the autonomous vehicle itself. Interior safety systems, exterior safety systems, a drive system or some combination of those systems may be activated to implement active safety measures in the autonomous vehicle.

Systems, apparatus and methods to multiple levels of redundancy in torque steering control and propulsion control of an autonomous vehicle include determining that a powertrain unit of the autonomous vehicle is non-operational and disabling propulsion operation of the non-operational powertrain unit and implementing torque steering operation in another powertrain unit while propelling the autonomous vehicle using other powertrain units that are configured to implement torque steering operation and propulsion operation.

Systems and methods implemented in algorithms, software, firmware, logic, or circuitry may be configured to process data and sensory input to determine whether an object external to an autonomous vehicle (e.g., another vehicle, a pedestrian, road debris, a bicyclist, etc.) may be a potential collision threat to the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be configured to implement active safety measures to avoid the potential collision and/or mitigate the impact of an actual collision to passengers in the autonomous vehicle and/or to the autonomous vehicle itself. Interior safety systems, exterior safety systems, a drive system or some combination of those systems may be activated to implement active safety measures in the autonomous vehicle.

Various embodiments relate generally to autonomous vehicles and associated mechanical, electrical and electronic hardware, computer software and systems, and wired and wireless network communications to provide map data for autonomous vehicles. In particular, a method may include accessing subsets of multiple types of sensor data, aligning subsets of sensor data relative to a global coordinate system based on the multiple types of sensor data to form aligned sensor data, and generating datasets of three-dimensional map data. The method further includes detecting a change in data relative to at least two datasets of the three-dimensional map data and applying the change in data to form updated three-dimensional map data. The change in data may be representative of a state change of an environment at which the sensor data is sensed. The state change of the environment may be related to the presence or absences of an object located therein.

A method for dynamically restraining an occupant fastened into a vehicle seat with a seatbelt in a vehicle, where a transverse acceleration of the vehicle and a course of a road ahead of the vehicle are determined and the seatbelt is tightened with a predefined belt force a predefined length of time before the vehicle enters a bend that has a predefined curvature. The method includes assigning a respective comfort speed to different turning angles of turnoffs and turnings at which it is possible to comfortably drive into the turnoffs or around the turnings. When the vehicle nears a turnoff or a turning at a current driving speed that exceeds the comfort speed assigned to the turning angle by a predefined value, the seatbelt is tightened with a predefined belt force before the turnoff or the turning is reached.

A computer-implemented method for moving an occupant of a vehicle seat to open airway position after a vehicle crash event. The vehicle seat having a seat cushion, a backrest and a headrest. The method includes detecting occurrence of a vehicle crash event, and moving at least a portion of the backrest and/or headrest backwards and pulling an occupant of the vehicle seat backwards towards the backrest by powered retraction of a seat belt of the occupant by means of a seat belt retractor.