A ball joint is disclosed containing a body of a joint, where there is inserted a pin having a longitudinal axis and including a first threaded end and a second spherical end which is rotatably arranged within a seat of the body and able to co-operate with a first spherical-cap-shaped element or shell inserted within a seat having a corresponding shape of a second spherical-cap-shaped element or shell cooperating with a covering element so as to close the spherical end of the pin within the body. The second spherical end of the pin and the first and second shells including pairs of recesses and ridges in the contact areas are suitable for reciprocally compenetrating, with the pairs of recesses and ridges being arranged at 90° to each other to allow the rotation of the pin along all axes in the space (X, Y, Z). An angular movement sensor integral with the body of the joint is provided, for co-operating with the second element or shell to detect the rotation of the pin around the axis containing the longitudinal axis of the pin.

A hub carrier is provided having: a central part for carrying a hub for a wheel of a vehicle; an outer frame adapted to connect the hub carrier to a suspension of the vehicle; at least three spokes interposed between the central part and the outer frame, the at least three spokes being rigidly connected to the central part. The at least three spokes have respective end elements connected to the outer frame and provide respective sliding spherical hinges for the at least three spokes. The hub carrier further includes at least three sensors configured for detecting force and/or moment components acting on the hub.

A vehicle chassis sensor assembly for measuring the ride height of a vehicle which comprises a rotary arm member including an overmolded magnet encapsulated in the rotary arm member. In one embodiment, the overmolded magnet includes a layer of overmold material defining an open overmold window in the side and/or top exterior surfaces of the layer of overmold material. Another embodiment includes a pair of spaced magnets that are completely encapsulated in a two step molding process before being molded into a rotary arm member.

A system for monitoring payload of a vehicle includes at least one wireless transmitter comprising a piezo-resistive pressure sensor, a transceiver and a battery unit, encapsulated in an insulating casing, the at least one wireless transmitter being configured to be attached to an axle beam of the vehicle and to emit a wireless signal in response to a mechanical strain of the axle beam, a wireless receiver configured to receive the wireless signal from the at least one wireless transmitter.

Methods and systems for estimating an axle load of a vehicle are described. In one example, a method is disclosed wherein axle load is estimated in response to an angle between two components of an axle. The angle may change as weight is added to or removed from the axle such that axle load may be determined as a function of the angle.

An electromechanical chassis actuator, for example an actuator of a roll stabilizer, for a motor vehicle has a torque measuring arrangement based on the inverse magnetostrictive principle. At least one electronic unit has a printed circuit board which is connected at least indirectly to an actuator housing through a rivet connection.

Techniques for using ball joint sensor data to determine conditions relevant to a vehicle are described in this disclosure. For example, in one example, the ball joint sensor data may be used to determine estimated steering data. The estimated steering data may be directly used to navigate through an environment, such as by the vehicle relying on the estimated steering data when planning, tracking, or executing a driving maneuver. Also, the estimated steering data may be used to verify the reliability of other steering sensor data used to navigate through the environment.

A weight sensing assembly for a semi-trailer truck enabling balancing of a load includes a sensing module, which is one of a plurality thereof. The sensing modules are mountable to wheels of the semi-trailer truck so that each axle has a sensing module engaged to outside wheels thereof. The sensing module obtains a pressure measurement of a tire engaged to the wheel and transmits it to an electronic device. Programming code on the electronic device enables it to utilize a pressure change, upon positioning of a load upon the semi-trailer truck, to determine a weight that is positioned upon an associated axle. The electronic device calculates adjustments to positions of a sliding fifth wheel and of sliding tandems of the semi-trailer truck to obtain positions thereof that will achieve a legal weight distribution of the load. The electronic device presents, upon a screen thereof, the adjustments to a user.

An apparatus for measuring the steering angle of a wheel assembly including a suspended wheel mount and at least one suspension arm, the apparatus including a reference bracket, a rotating bracket and an angle sensor, the reference bracket and the rotating bracket each respectively including a measurement end and a mounting end, wherein the measurement ends of the reference and rotating brackets are rotatably coupled about a rotation coupling point such that the brackets can rotate with respect to one another, wherein the mounting end of the rotating bracket is coupled with the suspended wheel mount and the mounting end of the reference bracket is coupled with the suspension arm, and wherein the mounting end of the reference bracket is positioned on a plane defined by a steering axis of the suspended wheel mount and a rotation axis between the suspension arm and the suspended wheel mount.

A wireless active suspension system with at least one wireless sensor coupled with at least one unsprung mass of a vehicle is disclosed. The system also includes at least one damper comprising an active valve, the damper being part of a vehicle suspension. The system additionally includes, at least one controller, the at least one controller in wireless communication with the at least one wireless sensor and the at least one damper, wherein the at least one controller receives the sensor data from the at least one wireless sensor and communicates an adjustment command to the active valve to modify a damping characteristic of the at least one damper.