Reducing surface rigidity of a vehicle
AssigneeWaymo LLC
InventorsThomas Daniel, Daniel Lynn Larner, Felix Jose Alvarez Rivera, Atul Gupta
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Aspects of the disclosure relate altering the rigidity of a vehicle's surface. More particularly, the vehicle may contain tension members that are arranged so that a change in tension across one or more of the tension members will alter the rigidity of the vehicle's surface. The vehicle may identify and respond to a potential collision by altering the tension that is applied to one or more tension members, thereby altering the rigidity of the vehicle's surface.
Claims20
A method for altering a vehicle's rigidity, the method comprising:
- detecting an object in a vehicle's surroundings;
- determining, by one or more processors, that the object and the vehicle will collide;
- and
- altering, by the one or more processors, a tension in one or more tension members to alter a rigidity of a portion of the vehicle based on the determination that the object and the vehicle will collide.
A system for altering a rigidity of a vehicle, the system comprising:
- one or more sensors to detect an object in a vehicle's surroundings;
- one or more computing devices having one or more processors configured to:
- determine that the object and the vehicle will collide;
- and
- alter a tension in one or more tension members to alter a rigidity of a portion of the vehicle, based on the determination that the object and the vehicle will collide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.