Methods and systems for autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicle control, routing, and automatic feature adjustment are disclosed. Sensors associated with autonomous operation features may be utilized to search an area for missing persons, stolen vehicles, or similar persons or items of interest. Sensor data associated with the features may be automatically collected and analyzed to passively search for missing persons or vehicles without vehicle operator involvement. Search criteria may be determined by a remote server and communicated to a plurality of vehicles within a search area. In response to which, sensor data may be collected and analyzed by the vehicles. When sensor data generated by a vehicle matches the search criteria, the vehicle may communicate the information to the remote server.

A method, a computer program, an apparatus, a transportation vehicle, and a network component for controlling a maneuver within a platoon of transportation vehicles. The method for controlling a maneuver within a platoon of transportation vehicles includes receiving information related to a maneuver for the platoon; determining information on a fuel efficiency of the maneuver based on fuel consumptions for maneuvering from an initial state to a maneuver target state, keeping the maneuver target state, and reverting from the maneuver target state to the initial state; and deciding whether to perform the maneuver based on the information on the fuel efficiency.

Provided is an automated guided vehicle that travels on a traveling path by loading at least one of a member required for a production work in which production equipment produces a product and a production tool detachable to the production equipment, and shares at least a portion of the traveling path with another automated guided vehicle, in which a traveling priority is variably set based on a work priority determined from a status of the production work, and when the traveling priority of the automated guided vehicle is higher than the traveling priority of the another automated guided vehicle, the automated guided vehicle is prioritized for traveling on the traveling path.

A system for guiding a vehicle is provided. The system includes multiple paths on a surface, wherein each path is defined by light projection characteristics of a respective light projection defining a respective path. The system also includes the vehicle. The vehicle includes a sensor configured to detect the light projection characteristic of the respective path of the multiple paths, and a controller guide the vehicle along the respective path with a light projection characteristic that matches an expected light projection characteristic that is assigned to the vehicle.

In a preferred example embodiment of the present disclosure, a multi-agent control system includes: a malfunctioning-agent detector configured to detect a malfunctioning agent among a plurality of agents based on a malfunction signal received from each of the plurality of agents; and a multi-agent controller configured to control a neighboring agent around the malfunctioning agent to transmit a correction control signal to the malfunctioning agent such that the plurality of agents operate in a platoon.

A method for operating a vehicle platoon with a plurality of motor vehicles includes recording of operating data of each motor vehicle of the vehicle platoon, transmitting the recorded operating data of at least one following motor vehicle of the vehicle platoon to the first motor vehicle of the vehicle platoon, evaluating the operating data to determine a control signal data set for controlling a component of each of the motor vehicles of the vehicle platoon, transmitting the respective control signal data sets to at least one following motor vehicle, and controlling components of one or all motor vehicles according to the respective control signal data sets.

An automatic guided vehicles (AGV) can include: motors, wheels, motor controllers, and batteries coupled to an elongated frame. The two wheels can be mounted on opposite sides of the elongated frame. The wheels can be coupled to motors which can be controlled by motor controllers. The motors and motor controllers can be attached to the frame and a connector flange can be mounted on a center portion of the AGV frame. Linkages are used to couple a plurality of AGVs together. In a two AGV embodiment, the AGVs can be mounted to a front portion and a rear portion on a centerline of a platform. In a four AGV embodiment, front width, rear width, left length, and right length linkages can form a parallelogram with AGVs couple to each of the four corners of the parallelogram.

A passenger vehicle optical communication system includes a source vehicle including a light source and an endpoint vehicle including a camera. The source vehicle transmits a series of patterns using the light source to communicate, as one example, state information to the endpoint vehicle.

A transport device according to the present invention includes: a transport unit that transports a transport object; a moving unit that controls movement of the transport device; and a control unit that controls an operation of the transport unit and the moving unit according to an instruction. In a case that the instruction includes forming group transport, the control unit controls the moving unit to move to a position where a group for implementing the group transport is formed, and controls the transport unit to transport the transport object at the position. In a case that the instruction includes implementing individual transport, the control unit controls the moving unit to move from the transport source to the transport destination.

A method and a traffic control entity (100) for controlling a group of vehicles (104) capable of autonomous driving without requiring a driver, to allow an emergency vehicle (102) to pass the group of vehicles (104) which are travelling concurrently in multiple lanes on a road. When detecting that the emergency vehicle (102) is approaching the group of vehicles (104) e.g. from behind, the vehicles in the group (104) are identified based on information (108) about current position and movement of the vehicles (104). The traffic control entity (100) then issues a command (106) instructing the identified vehicles to adjust their lateral positions relative the lanes to create a passage along the group of vehicles (104). Thereby, the emergency vehicle (102) is able to move through the passage without having to slow down significantly.