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Search Results (691)

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Journal = Vehicles
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25 pages, 1099 KB  
Review
A Survey on Key Technologies and Applications of Semantic Communication for Vehicular Networks
by Xiaoyu Zhong and Yong Liao
Vehicles 2026, 8(7), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8070153 (registering DOI) - 5 Jul 2026
Abstract
To address the stringent demands of intelligent connected vehicles for high bandwidth, low latency, and highly reliable communication, this paper systematically summarizes the semantic communication technology of the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) based on information “meaning” transmission, covering basic theory, key technologies, application [...] Read more.
To address the stringent demands of intelligent connected vehicles for high bandwidth, low latency, and highly reliable communication, this paper systematically summarizes the semantic communication technology of the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) based on information “meaning” transmission, covering basic theory, key technologies, application practice and challenge and trends. First, the paper expounds the knowledge driven and task oriented paradigm characteristics of semantic communication and its efficiency advantages in the IoV. Second, in terms of key technologies, semantic extraction achieves efficient feature compression through multimodal fusion and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI); semantic coding employs hierarchical codebooks and adaptive strategies to optimize transmission efficiency; semantic transmission leverages deep reinforcement learning for the joint scheduling of resources such as spectrum and power; and semantic decoding utilizes reconstruction networks and GAI to enhance resilience against impairments. Application practices demonstrate that semantic communication can significantly compress image data transmission volume for autonomous driving collaborative perception while maintaining high-fidelity reconstruction under adverse channel conditions. It significantly reduces the communication load and improves the system utility in vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination and in-vehicle service. Despite facing technical challenges such as semantic consistency, dynamic adaptability, and security trustworthiness, future semantic communication will evolve towards deep integration with distributed collaborative knowledge networks, lightweight real-time decision-making agents, and integrated “communication, sensing, and computing” architectures, positioning itself as a key enabling technology for empowering Sixth Generation mobile communication (6G) of intelligent vehicular networks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Vehicular Networks and Communications)
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15 pages, 2459 KB  
Article
Driver Attention Region Prediction Based on Multi-Attention Mechanism Multi-Scale Fusion Network
by Yunxing Chen, Guo Yu, Kunhui Li and Xingyu Yuan
Vehicles 2026, 8(7), 152; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8070152 (registering DOI) - 5 Jul 2026
Abstract
In driver attention zone prediction tasks, accurately identifying and locating the driver’s attention zone is crucial. Traditional models have significant limitations in complex driving scenarios due to their failure to fully utilize multidimensional driving environment information. To address these issues, this paper proposes [...] Read more.
In driver attention zone prediction tasks, accurately identifying and locating the driver’s attention zone is crucial. Traditional models have significant limitations in complex driving scenarios due to their failure to fully utilize multidimensional driving environment information. To address these issues, this paper proposes a multi-attention feature fusion network (MAFF-HRNet) for driver attention region prediction. The proposed network combines high-resolution feature extraction with bimodal RGB–semantic inputs, multi-scale feature fusion, attention-based feature refinement, and temporal modeling. The experimental results on the DR(eye)VE dataset show that MAFF-HRNet improves driver attention region prediction under the current evaluation protocol. These results indicate that semantic scene information, multi-scale spatial representation, and temporal context are beneficial for generating more accurate driver attention heatmaps in complex driving scenes. Full article
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26 pages, 12163 KB  
Article
A Data-Driven AI Framework for Monitoring Lithium-Ion Battery Health Using Secondary Operational Data
by Vimal Singh Bisht, Nikhil Kushwaha, Nitin Sundriyal, Sandeep Sunori, Oscar Salas-Peña and José Angel Barrios
Vehicles 2026, 8(7), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8070150 - 1 Jul 2026
Viewed by 159
Abstract
An AI-based methodology was developed for estimating the state-of-health (SOH) of lithium-ion batteries based on secondary operational data and benchmarked with ANN, SVM, RF, and BiLSTM models. The proposed framework was evaluated by using tolerance-based accuracy, Bland–Altman agreement analysis, residual autocorrelation diagnostics, and [...] Read more.
An AI-based methodology was developed for estimating the state-of-health (SOH) of lithium-ion batteries based on secondary operational data and benchmarked with ANN, SVM, RF, and BiLSTM models. The proposed framework was evaluated by using tolerance-based accuracy, Bland–Altman agreement analysis, residual autocorrelation diagnostics, and Cartesian Taylor diagram comparison. The BiLSTM model was the best among the tested models for SOH prediction, with the least prediction error, best agreement with the reference SOH values, and near-white-noise residual behavior. The framework was further extended to Remaining Useful Life (RUL) prediction, where the BiLSTM model showed the most consistent overall performance. We also propose a residual-based anomaly detection as a potential extension of the battery monitoring framework. However, a quantitative evaluation of anomaly detection is out of scope in this study due to the lack of labeled anomaly data in the CALCE dataset. The proposed framework is validated by complementary statistical diagnostics, providing a robust and practical framework for non-intrusive battery health monitoring. Full article
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19 pages, 7441 KB  
Article
Creep-Induced Temporal Drift Modeling and Compensation of Automotive Seat Pressure Signals for Short-Term Occupant Weight Classification
by Jun Ma, Zhanpeng Hu and Mingyang Guo
Vehicles 2026, 8(7), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8070149 - 1 Jul 2026
Viewed by 124
Abstract
Automotive seat pressure sensing provides a non-invasive modality for occupant state recognition and adaptive seat functions in intelligent cockpits. However, creep-induced temporal drift after seating may reduce the reliability of short-term occupant weight classification. This study analyzed 90 cushion pressure records from 30 [...] Read more.
Automotive seat pressure sensing provides a non-invasive modality for occupant state recognition and adaptive seat functions in intelligent cockpits. However, creep-induced temporal drift after seating may reduce the reliability of short-term occupant weight classification. This study analyzed 90 cushion pressure records from 30 participants, each obtained from a 20 s controlled seated trial. A single-exponential model characterized the early pressure evolution, and a reference-state mapping method compensated for temporal drift. A random forest classifier using cumulative cushion pressure features from sliding windows was adopted to compare raw, filtered, and compensated signals. A total of 76 records met the fitting quality criteria. Compared with raw signals, compensated signals increased accuracy, Macro-F1, and balanced accuracy by 13.1%, 22.7%, and 17.9%, respectively, with improved prediction consistency across windows. These results suggest that drift compensation improves temporal feature comparability and supports more stable short-term occupant weight classification under controlled seated conditions. Full article
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25 pages, 713 KB  
Article
Real-Time Tire–Road Friction Coefficient Estimation for Four-Wheel-Independent-Drive Electric Vehicles Using a Piecewise Gain-Scheduled Observer and Neural Networks
by Qian Shi and Haotian Li
Vehicles 2026, 8(7), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8070148 - 30 Jun 2026
Viewed by 115
Abstract
Four-wheel-independent-drive electric vehicles are gaining increasing research attention due to their comprehensive dynamic performance. Real-time tire–road friction coefficient information contributes to the development of adaptive control algorithms and active safety control systems for such vehicles. However, traditional tire models widely adopted in existing [...] Read more.
Four-wheel-independent-drive electric vehicles are gaining increasing research attention due to their comprehensive dynamic performance. Real-time tire–road friction coefficient information contributes to the development of adaptive control algorithms and active safety control systems for such vehicles. However, traditional tire models widely adopted in existing estimation methods may fail to match practical tire characteristics accurately. Furthermore, lateral velocity serves as a critical state variable for tire–road friction coefficient estimation, whereas existing lateral velocity observers using low-cost inertial measurement unit sensors suffer from degraded estimation performance under complex driving maneuvers. To address the above challenges, this paper proposes a three-stage friction coefficient estimation framework. Firstly, vehicle lateral velocities are estimated via a piecewise gain-scheduled observer using inertial measurement unit measurements. Secondly, tire slip ratios are calculated based on the observed lateral velocities; meanwhile, the longitudinal, lateral and vertical forces of each tire are reconstructed. Lastly, tire force and slip information under combined slip conditions are acquired, and a multilayer perceptron neural network is established to achieve individual tire–road friction coefficient estimation. The simulation results verify the numerical feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the proposed estimation method under ideal simulation conditions. Full article
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19 pages, 502 KB  
Article
LSTM-Predicted Sliding Mode Control for String-Stable Vehicle Platooning in Mixed Traffic Flow
by Mei Cao and Qingman Fan
Vehicles 2026, 8(7), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8070147 - 30 Jun 2026
Viewed by 157
Abstract
To address the issues of slow response to preceding vehicles and poor string stability in distributed platoon control of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) under mixed traffic flow, this paper proposes a sliding mode control method based on LSTM trajectory prediction, denoted as [...] Read more.
To address the issues of slow response to preceding vehicles and poor string stability in distributed platoon control of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) under mixed traffic flow, this paper proposes a sliding mode control method based on LSTM trajectory prediction, denoted as LSTM-SMC, within a multi-agent framework. The LSTM model is trained using the HighD naturalistic driving dataset to achieve high-precision prediction of the leader vehicle’s trajectory over a horizon of 3 s, with root mean square errors (RMSE) of 8.52 m in the X-direction and 0.896 m in the Y-direction. The predicted trajectory information is converted into a preview error and embedded directly into the design of the sliding surface, enabling each following vehicle to anticipate disturbances before they propagate. A diminishing preview gain strategy (γ1=0.4, γ2=0.2, γ3=0.1) is employed to suppress error propagation along the platoon, while a saturation function is introduced to eliminate chattering and ensure smooth control inputs. Three simulation scenarios—prescribed leading, HDV (human-driven vehicle) leading, and curved road scenario—are constructed to validate the proposed method against traditional constant time headway (CTH) control, pure sliding mode control (SMC), and LSTM-MPC. Results demonstrate that under extreme conditions, the proposed method reduces the speed RMSE of the 3rd following vehicle by 18.3% compared to CTH and by 39.7% compared to SMC. Under HDV leading conditions, all string stability amplification factors are less than 1, and the position RMSE of the 3rd vehicle is only 5.03 m in the curved road scenario. Compared with LSTM-MPC, the proposed LSTM-SMC achieves comparable tracking accuracy while reducing computational cost by 1.43–3.51×. The proposed method achieves a native integration of prediction and robust control, significantly improving tracking accuracy, string stability, and computational efficiency across diverse operating conditions in mixed traffic flow. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trajectory Tracking of Autonomous Vehicles)
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17 pages, 1367 KB  
Article
Staged GT3 Setup Optimization with Setup-Conditioned Telemetry Response Modeling in Simulation
by Shanmukha Srivathsav Satujoda and Kevin Huggins
Vehicles 2026, 8(7), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8070146 - 28 Jun 2026
Viewed by 199
Abstract
Optimizing a high-fidelity GT3 race car setup is a serious dimensional, nonlinear problem in which small changes to mechanical parameters can affect lap time, handling balance, and vehicle stability. Existing motorsport AI studies largely emphasize racing line optimization, autonomous control, race strategy, or [...] Read more.
Optimizing a high-fidelity GT3 race car setup is a serious dimensional, nonlinear problem in which small changes to mechanical parameters can affect lap time, handling balance, and vehicle stability. Existing motorsport AI studies largely emphasize racing line optimization, autonomous control, race strategy, or offline vehicle dynamics estimation, while the mechanical setup layer is often treated as fixed or tuned manually. This paper presents a staged simulator-based setup optimization framework augmented with setup-conditioned telemetry response modeling. Using the virtual BMW Z4 GT3 vehicle model implemented within the Assetto Corsa (v1.16.4) simulation environment as a controlled GT3 test platform, 134 setup configurations were evaluated at the Red Bull Ring under a fixed simulator AI driving policy. The staged search improved the best lap time from 91.430 s to 91.040 s, corresponding to a 0.390 s reduction. To move beyond a single aggregate lap-time claim, the full telemetry corpus was processed into 585 stable laps and 29,250 track-position segment samples. A setup-conditioned LightGBM model was trained to predict segment time and local vehicle response metrics from setup parameters and segment context, using five-fold GroupKFold validation by telemetry file to avoid random row leakage. The setup-conditioned segment model reconstructed held-out file-level lap time with 0.223 s mean absolute error and Spearman correlation of 0.961, outperforming a setup-only model at 0.288 s, a track-only segment model at 0.687 s, and a shuffled-setup placebo at 0.776 s. The same setup-conditioned model also improved the prediction of segment-level speed, slip angle, tire load spread, rake (defined here as rear-front ride height difference), tire temperature, yaw response, and lateral acceleration. These results show that high-frequency telemetry can support not only staged setup search, but also quantifiable learning of where and how setup changes alter vehicle behavior around the lap. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vehicle Design Processes, 3rd Edition)
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7 pages, 157 KB  
Editorial
Emerging Solutions and Technologies for Smart Mobility and Vehicle Safety in Transportation
by Eva Michelaraki and George Yannis
Vehicles 2026, 8(7), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8070145 - 28 Jun 2026
Viewed by 174
Abstract
The rapid evolution of transportation technologies and the growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming the landscape of road safety and smart mobility [...] Full article
33 pages, 3270 KB  
Article
Topology Design, Multi-Objective Optimization, and Dynamic Performance Evaluation of a PCM-Buffered SOFC-MGT Hybrid Powertrain for Heavy-Duty Trucks
by Saeed Shirazi, Majid Ghassemi and Mahmoud Chizari
Vehicles 2026, 8(7), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8070144 - 27 Jun 2026
Viewed by 125
Abstract
Decarbonizing heavy-duty logistics requires powertrains that integrate novel topology design, degradation-aware optimization, and robust dynamic performance under real-world operational loads. While solid oxide fuel cells offer high efficiency, their application in transportation is hindered by thermal fatigue. This study proposes a novel hybrid [...] Read more.
Decarbonizing heavy-duty logistics requires powertrains that integrate novel topology design, degradation-aware optimization, and robust dynamic performance under real-world operational loads. While solid oxide fuel cells offer high efficiency, their application in transportation is hindered by thermal fatigue. This study proposes a novel hybrid powertrain topology integrating a metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), a micro gas turbine (MGT), and an aluminum–silicon phase change material (PCM) thermal buffer. A high-fidelity dynamic model is developed and coupled with a multi-objective optimization framework to size the PCM buffer and battery pack, balancing capital expenditure and system lifetime. Furthermore, a degradation-aware energy management strategy based on a thermal state-of-charge metric is introduced. Simulations over a 10 h dynamic drive cycle indicate that the optimal configuration (120 kg PCM, 80 kWh battery) extends the SOFC’s simulated remaining useful life to 38,400 h, a 2.5-fold improvement over unbuffered systems. Concurrently, the proposed energy management strategy reduces the MGT mechanical wear index by 98% compared to conventional load-following strategies. The system demonstrates robust performance across ambient temperatures from −20 °C to +45 °C and achieves a 22% reduction in projected capital expenditure compared to standard proton exchange membrane fuel cell powertrains. This topology offers a highly durable and economically viable pathway for next-generation zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles. This work addresses a critical gap in the literature: the lack of integrated thermal buffering and degradation-aware control strategies for high-temperature fuel cell systems in dynamic vehicular applications. By coupling a physical latent heat buffer with a novel Thermal-SOC-proportional Energy Management Strategy, the proposed architecture directly targets the primary degradation mechanisms that have historically impeded SOFC commercialization in heavy-duty transport. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Vehicle Powertrain Control and Energy Management Strategies)
32 pages, 9054 KB  
Article
YOLO-GCM: A Lightweight Detector-Side Feature Enhancement Framework for Foggy Traffic Object Detection
by Jia Wang and Hu Huang
Vehicles 2026, 8(7), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8070143 - 24 Jun 2026
Viewed by 207
Abstract
Foggy traffic scenes pose significant challenges for object detection because reduced contrast, blurred object boundaries, and the loss of local details weaken discriminative feature representations. These degradations are particularly detrimental to lightweight detectors used in intelligent transportation and vehicle perception systems, where both [...] Read more.
Foggy traffic scenes pose significant challenges for object detection because reduced contrast, blurred object boundaries, and the loss of local details weaken discriminative feature representations. These degradations are particularly detrimental to lightweight detectors used in intelligent transportation and vehicle perception systems, where both accuracy and real-time efficiency are required. To address this problem, this paper proposes YOLO-GCM, a lightweight detector-side feature enhancement framework built upon YOLO11n. Instead of relying on an external image dehazing stage, YOLO-GCM improves the internal feature representation of the detector through three complementary modules: a gated additive feature block (GAFB) for adaptive channel-wise feature selection and noise suppression, a context-aware feature enhancement module (CAFEM) for strengthening high-level semantic context, and a multi-scale adaptive fusion (MSAF) module for enhancing cross-scale feature interaction. By integrating these modules into a unified one-stage detector, the proposed method improves detection robustness under low-visibility traffic conditions while maintaining a compact architecture. Experiments on the FoggyCar dataset show that YOLO-GCM achieved 89.81% mAP@0.5 and 67.99% mAP@0.5:0.95, outperforming standard YOLO baselines and dehazing-assisted detection pipelines under a consistent evaluation protocol. Additional evaluation on Foggy Cityscapes further verified the generalization capability of the proposed method under domain shift. The results demonstrate that detector-side feature enhancement provides an effective and efficient alternative to multi-stage dehazing-plus-detection pipelines for foggy traffic object detection. These findings can provide useful guidance for the development of robust and efficient perception modules in roadside monitoring, intelligent transportation systems, and vehicle-assisted driving applications under adverse weather conditions. Full article
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19 pages, 24999 KB  
Article
Impact of Powertrain Type and Thermal Management on Real Driving Emissions of HEVs and GDI Vehicles
by Zoltán Szávicza, Dániel Pup, Péter Raffai and Zsolt Maldrik
Vehicles 2026, 8(7), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8070142 - 24 Jun 2026
Viewed by 184
Abstract
The transport sector plays a significant role in air pollution, and real-world emissions measurements are becoming increasingly important. In this study, emissions from a turbocharged, direct-injection gasoline internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle and a port fuel injection (PFI) hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) were [...] Read more.
The transport sector plays a significant role in air pollution, and real-world emissions measurements are becoming increasingly important. In this study, emissions from a turbocharged, direct-injection gasoline internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle and a port fuel injection (PFI) hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) were compared using a portable emissions measurement system (PEMS) under real-world driving conditions. The CO2, CO, NOx, and PN emissions of the two vehicles were measured in urban, rural, and motorway sections. HEV CO2 emissions were ~20% lower than ICE emissions in the entire Real Driving Emissions (RDE) cycle, while in urban operation, they were almost 50% lower. PN emissions were lower for HEV in rural and motorway sections than for ICE, but significant PN peaks occurred during the early urban phase, attributable to the slower engine warm-up of the HEV. Machine learning analysis (Random Forest and Extra Trees Regressor) indicated that coolant temperature was the dominant driver of HEV PN emissions. The results indicate that powertrain characteristics and thermal management strongly influence real-world driving emissions, highlighting their importance for the further development of hybrid vehicles. Full article
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33 pages, 467 KB  
Review
Automotive Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH): A Thematic Literature Review
by Waleed Faris
Vehicles 2026, 8(6), 140; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8060140 - 22 Jun 2026
Viewed by 668
Abstract
Automotive Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) has emerged as a critical interdisciplinary field influencing vehicle performance, passenger comfort, brand perception, and regulatory compliance. This thematic literature review synthesizes key research trends, methodological approaches, and technological developments shaping contemporary NVH studies. Drawing on 255 [...] Read more.
Automotive Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) has emerged as a critical interdisciplinary field influencing vehicle performance, passenger comfort, brand perception, and regulatory compliance. This thematic literature review synthesizes key research trends, methodological approaches, and technological developments shaping contemporary NVH studies. Drawing on 255 scholarly and industry sources, the review identifies five dominant themes: (1) sources and characterization of noise and vibration in internal combustion, hybrid, and electric vehicles; (2) advanced modeling and simulation techniques—including finite element analysis, statistical energy analysis, and machine learning–based prediction models; (3) materials, components, and structural optimization strategies for NVH mitigation; (4) the rapidly evolving landscape of electric and autonomous vehicle NVH; and (5) emerging active noise and vibration control technologies and data-driven diagnostics. The analysis highlights a definite shift toward holistic, data-driven, and multi-physics approaches, driven by lightweighting imperatives, widespread electrification, and increasingly stringent occupant comfort expectations. Key gaps in current research—including the need for unified evaluation metrics, real-time in-vehicle NVH monitoring, closer integration of subjective psychoacoustic perception with objective physical measurement, and validated simulation workflows for novel EV architectures—are identified and discussed. This review provides a consolidated and expanded framework for understanding contemporary NVH research directions and articulates opportunities for transformative innovation in next-generation vehicle development. Full article
25 pages, 2164 KB  
Article
Designing a National Household Travel Survey for Saudi Arabia: A Framework for Understanding Urban Mobility and Infrastructure Development
by Thaar Alqahtani and Fawzan Alfawzan
Vehicles 2026, 8(6), 139; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8060139 - 20 Jun 2026
Viewed by 260
Abstract
Saudi Arabia currently lacks a nationally representative, multi-day National Household Travel Survey comparable to the US, UK, or New Zealand programmes; existing official data products focus on aggregate road-transport indicators or general household statistics rather than detailed day-to-day travel diaries. This study develops [...] Read more.
Saudi Arabia currently lacks a nationally representative, multi-day National Household Travel Survey comparable to the US, UK, or New Zealand programmes; existing official data products focus on aggregate road-transport indicators or general household statistics rather than detailed day-to-day travel diaries. This study develops a benchmark-driven framework for NHTS–KSA by comparing Saudi demographic, geographic, infrastructure, climate, and mobility indicators with those of the United States, United Kingdom, and New Zealand, and by systematically assessing 15 survey-design indicators across their national household travel surveys. Context benchmarking identifies the United States as the closest for highway-oriented interurban structure and motorisation level, New Zealand for geography and demographic structure (in particular, near-identical physiological density on limited arable land), and the United Kingdom as the most aspirationally aligned benchmark for the multimodal mobility patterns Saudi Arabia aims to develop under Vision 2030. Design benchmarking shows that the three surveys are closely matched in aggregate similarity but lead on distinct elements: New Zealand on diary length and integrated passive tracking, the US on digital tools and emerging-behaviour modules, and the UK on interviewer-led recruitment and multimodal analysis, a pattern that proves robust to plausible variation in individual scores. The resulting NHTS–KSA blueprint specifies a statistically justified, stratified multistage annual household sample, a two-day diary with rolling 12-month fieldwork, interviewer-assisted recruitment, a digital-first diary with optional GPS tracking, and modules on long-distance travel, telework, e-commerce, gendered mobility, accessibility, safety, and environmental attitudes. While preserving international comparability, the framework provides the data foundation required to steer public-transport investment, demand-management measures, and land-use policies in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives for sustainable, inclusive, and smart mobility. Full article
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21 pages, 8407 KB  
Article
Encoder-Based Speed Estimation of BLDC Motors for Accurate Positioning of Current Collectors: A Case Study on Automated Overhead Wire Connection for Trolleybuses
by Regina Deisling, Robert Dehnert, Christian Koch, Melanie Schmaltz, Bernhard Schaaf-Christmann, Jan Messerschmidt, Ramiz Dilji and Bernd Tibken
Vehicles 2026, 8(6), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8060138 - 19 Jun 2026
Viewed by 170
Abstract
The electrification of public transportation requires reliable and efficient technologies for energy transfer. Trolleybus systems represent a promising solution, as they combine high energy efficiency with reduced battery requirements. However, a central technical challenge is the precise and automatic positioning of the flexible [...] Read more.
The electrification of public transportation requires reliable and efficient technologies for energy transfer. Trolleybus systems represent a promising solution, as they combine high energy efficiency with reduced battery requirements. However, a central technical challenge is the precise and automatic positioning of the flexible current collector poles that connect to the overhead line. During positioning through motor actuation, the current collector shoe is caused to oscillate by external disturbances and the movement itself. To reduce oscillations, the current collectors need to be damped actively by respective actuation. This task critically depends on accurate and fast motor speed estimation for real-time control of the actuating motors. Since motor speed is not measured directly in the system, it has to be estimated from the encoder-based motor position, which introduces sensitivity to measurement noise and requires filtering. This work investigates four practical estimation approaches in the context of trolleybus applications. These include discrete-time numerical differentiation combined with FIR and IIR filtering and a modern algebraic differentiation approach. These estimation methods are evaluated under identical experimental conditions and predefined filter specifications focusing on noise suppression and time delay characteristics. The most promising approaches are further validated in closed-loop operation with respect to measurement noise-induced variations in the control input and motor speed tracking accuracy. The results demonstrate that algebraic differentiation achieves a favorable balance between noise suppression, latency, and filter order for the considered current collector system. It therefore provides a suitable basis for real-time deployment in the investigated current collector positioning control and for future active oscillation damping strategies. Full article
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40 pages, 5967 KB  
Systematic Review
Radar-Camera Extrinsic Calibration for Roadside Infrastructure: A Systematic Review
by Zeynab Rokhi and Ali Emadi
Vehicles 2026, 8(6), 137; https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles8060137 - 19 Jun 2026
Viewed by 245
Abstract
The growth of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) has made high-quality perception data from multi-sensor setups essential. Pairing millimeter-wave (mmW) radar with a monocular camera is a common way to recover three-dimensional information about the environment, but aligning the two is difficult because sparse [...] Read more.
The growth of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) has made high-quality perception data from multi-sensor setups essential. Pairing millimeter-wave (mmW) radar with a monocular camera is a common way to recover three-dimensional information about the environment, but aligning the two is difficult because sparse radar point clouds and dense camera images differ sharply in how they sense a scene. The problem grows more severe in roadside infrastructure, where the high mounting elevation introduces perspective distortion that vehicle-mounted systems rarely face. This paper presents a systematic review, conducted under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, of radar-camera extrinsic calibration for fixed roadside infrastructure, organizing existing work into a taxonomy that separates traditional two-stage pipelines from recent end-to-end learning frameworks. Because methods designed specifically for roadside units remain scarce, the review also covers vehicle- and robot-mounted methods whose static-sensor formulation carries over to fixed roadside deployment. For the two-stage pipeline, the analysis covers target-based and targetless correspondence registration along with the optimization techniques and algorithmic assumptions behind parameter estimation. The end-to-end learning literature shows a clear shift toward self-supervised and fusion-based models, some of which report real-time performance. The review also compares the metrics and procedures used to quantify calibration accuracy. Progress is evident, but robustness in cluttered urban environments remains an open challenge, and the paper closes by outlining future directions, arguing that standardized roadside benchmarks are needed before scalable, targetless calibration can mature. Full article
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