A self-calibrating scanning system and method provides a novel way to eliminate errors in scanning systems, such as lidar or radar detection, using an inertial measurement unit. The system includes an energy transmission source configured to transmit an energy signal through a transmittal area. A detector receives a return energy signal of at least one target object of the energy transmitter source within the transmittal area. The system calculates at least one of the range and position of an object from information relating to at least one of the time and phase of the return energy signal relative to the transmittal energy signal. The spatial or angular displacement of the detector relative to the light source is measured using data from the inertial measurement unit, and at least one of calculated range and position of the object is adjusted based on the spatial or angular displacement of the detector.

In some embodiments, methods and systems may be used to control operation of various systems of the vehicle based on road features included in an upcoming portion of a road surface located along a path of travel of the vehicle. This control may either be based on a probability of encountering a road feature on the road surface 5 and/or frequency information related to the upcoming portion of the road surface.

An electronic control suspension system for a vehicle is proposed. The electronic control suspension system includes a detection unit detecting information on a road in front of the vehicle, an electronic control suspension which damping force is controlled by current, and a control unit is configured to adjust the damping force of the electronic control suspension according to the information detected by the detection unit.

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 vehicle position estimation method includes: acquiring time-series data of a parameter related to a vertical motion of a wheel while the vehicle is traveling; acquiring the parameter around the vehicle, as a reference parameter, from a parameter map indicating a correspondence relationship between the parameter and a position; estimating a vehicle position based on a comparison between the time-series data of the parameter and time-series data of the reference parameter. Meanwhile, road surface roughness around the vehicle in a lateral direction and a lateral position of the vehicle in a road are recognized by using a recognition sensor installed on the vehicle. When the road surface roughness is less than a threshold, a lateral position component of the estimated vehicle position is replaced with the lateral position recognized by using the recognition sensor.

Map data regarding a vertical motion parameter related to a vertical motion of a wheel of a vehicle are provided. The map data have a data structure for a specific area in which a first road and a second road cross with being separated vertically. The data structure for the specific area includes at least one of: first layer map data indicating a correspondence relationship between a horizontal position, a vertical position, and the vertical motion parameter of the first road; and second layer map data indicating a correspondence relationship between a horizontal position, a vertical position, and the vertical motion parameter of the second road.

Methods and systems for autonomously delivering consumer items in disposable packages, in which the disposable package, with the consumer item inside, are carried under a wheel robot using a grabbing mechanism that holds the package under the wheel robot. The wheel robot straddles over the package to allow the grabbing mechanism access to the package during a loading process, and then straddles off the package at a delivery location after the grabbing mechanism releases the package with the consumer item inside. Releasing of the package can be done by lowering the package to the ground in a controlled manner, or by simply releasing the package above ground thereby dropping the package.

A suspension system and associated control methods for improving comfort by disabling passive pitch stiffness in the suspension system by holding open electromechanical comfort valves positioned in a manifold assembly of the suspension system. The manifold comfort valves are held open to disable the passive pitch stiffness of the suspension system if the vehicle is traveling down a rough road or if the vehicle is approaching a discrete road event like a pot-hole or speed bump. Deactivation of the passive pitch stiffness of the suspension system is determined based on road classification information, saved road events, and/or real-time vehicle data from on-board sensors. The suspension system therefore reduces pitch angles during pitch events induced by inertial forces caused by driver inputs and disables the pitch stiffness when the pitch event is caused by road inputs.

Motion can be induced at a vehicle, e.g., by actuating components of an active suspension system, and first sensor data and second sensor data representing an environment of the vehicle can be captured at a first position and a second position, respectively, resulting from the induced motion. A second sensor can determine motion information associated with the first position and the second position. Calibration information about the sensor, the first sensor data, and the motion information can be used to determine an expectation of sensor data at the second position. A calibration error can be the difference between the second sensor data and the expected sensor data.

An electrically powered suspension system includes: an electromagnetic actuator that is provided between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle and generates a load for damping vibration of the vehicle body; an information acquisition part that acquires information on a state of a road surface ahead of the vehicle; a target load calculation part that calculates a target load for preview control based on the road surface state, and a load control part that performs load control on the electromagnetic actuator. The target load calculation part estimates an actual input timing based on the vehicle speed and calculates an adjustment start timing related to suspension characteristics, based on the estimated actual input timing. When estimating the actual input timing based on the vehicle speed, the target load calculation part applies, to the vehicle speed, a correction coefficient for correcting a fluctuation of the vehicle speed.