Perception is a vital part of driving. Every year, the loss in visibility due to snow, fog, and rain causes serious accidents worldwide. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the impact of weather conditions on perception performance while driving on highways and urban traffic in all weather conditions. The goal of this paper is to provide a survey of sensing technologies used to detect the surrounding environment and obstacles during driving maneuvers in different weather conditions. Firstly, some important historical milestones are presented. Secondly, the state-of-the-art automated driving applications (adaptive cruise control, pedestrian collision avoidance, etc.) are introduced with a focus on all-weather activity. Thirdly, the most involved sensor technologies (radar, lidar, ultrasonic, camera, and far-infrared) employed by automated driving applications are studied. Furthermore, the difference between the current and expected states of performance is determined by the use of spider charts. As a result, a fusion perspective is proposed that can fill gaps and increase the robustness of the perception system.

Maintaining precise and robust control in robotic systems, particularly those with nonlinear dynamics and external disturbances, is a significant challenge in robotics. Sliding-mode control (SMC) is a widely used technique to tackle these issues; however, it is plagued by chattering and computational complexity, which limit its effectiveness in high-precision environments. This study aims to develop and assess a quantum-inspired sliding-mode control (QSMC) strategy to enhance the SMC’s robustness, precision, and computational efficiency, specifically in controlling a six-jointed articulated robotic arm. The methodology involves creating a comprehensive kinematic and dynamic model of the robot, followed by implementing both classic SMC and the proposed Q-SMC in a comparative way. The simulation results confirm that the Q-SMC method outperforms the classic SMC, particularly in reducing chattering, improving tracking accuracy, and decreasing energy consumption by approximately 3.79%. These findings suggest that the Q-SMC technique provides a promising alternative to classical control methods, with potential applications in tasks requiring high precision and efficient robotic manipulations.

Energy harvesting, a cutting-edge technology that captures wasted energy from vehicles, constitutes a means to improve the efficiency of electric vehicles. Dissipated energy can be converted into electricity using regenerative energy recovery systems and put to various uses. This study tenders a thorough examination into energy recovery technologies which could be applied to the various types of energy dissipated in electric vehicles. The paper investigates the possible sources of energy recoverable from an electric vehicle, as well as the various types of energy dissipated. It also examines the energy recovery technologies most frequently used in vehicles, categorizing them according to the type of energy and application. Finally, it determines that with further research and development, energy harvesting holds considerable potential for improving the energy efficiency of electric vehicles. New and innovative methods for capturing and utilizing wasted energy in electric vehicles can be established. The potential benefit of applying energy recovery systems in electric vehicles is a vital issue for the automobile industry to focus on due to the potential benefits involved. The ongoing progress currently being made in this field is expected to play a significant role in shaping the future of transportation.

The goal of this research is to formulate and compare two algorithms, classical particle swarm optimisation (PSO) and quantum PSO (QPSO), for optimising the motion of a car-like mobile robot. Both algorithms are evaluated on the basis of their reduction and stabilisation of the root mean square error (RMSE) between the robot’s desired and actual trajectories. An implementation of the robot’s dynamic motion is provided. The robot’s mass and inertia are considered. The robot’s settings and the viscosity of the surroundings present a few obstacles to following the specified path. For each algorithm, the proportional ($K_p$) and derivative ($K_d$) parameters of the controller are optimised, and the convergence speeds and stabilities of the controllers are compared. The results show that both algorithms perform comparably. However, the QPSO method converges faster and is more stable at optimal $K_p$ and $K_d$ values. The ramifications of this research extend beyond trajectory tracking. Enhanced optimisation approaches can lead to higher performance in a variety of robotic systems, including autonomous cars, drones, and automation systems, by employing advanced quantum algorithms, such as QPSO.

This paper deals with the design of an energy management strategy (EMS) for an industrial hybrid self-guided vehicle (SGV), considering the size of a fuel cell (FC) stack and degradation of a battery pack. In this context, first, a realistic energy model of the SGV was proposed and validated, based on experiments. This model provided a basis for individual components analysis, estimating energy requirements, component sizing, and testing various EMSs, prior to practical implementation. Second, the performance of the developed FC/battery SGV powertrain was validated under three EMS modes. Each mode was studied by considering four different FC sizes and three battery degradation levels. The final results showed that a small FC as a range extender is recommended, to reduce system cost. It is also important to maintain the FC in its high efficiency zones with a minimum ON/OFF cycle, leading to efficiency and lifetime enhancement of FC system. Battery SOC have to be kept at a high level during SGV operation, to support the FC during SGV acceleration. In order to improve the SGV’s overall autonomy, it is also important to minimize the stop and go and rotational SGV motion with appropriate acceleration and deceleration rate.

Since its emergence, quantum computing has enabled a wide spectrum of new possibilities and advantages, including its efficiency in accelerating computational processes exponentially. This has directed much research towards completely novel ways of solving a wide variety of engineering problems, especially through describing quantum versions of many mathematical tools such as Fourier and Laplace transforms, differential equations, systems of linear equations, and optimization techniques, among others. Exploration and development in this direction will revolutionize the world of engineering. In this manuscript, we review the state of the art of these emerging techniques from the perspective of quantum computer development and performance optimization, with a focus on the most common mathematical tools that support engineering applications. This review focuses on the application of these mathematical tools to quantum computer development and performance improvement/optimization. It also identifies the challenges and limitations related to the exploitation of quantum computing and outlines the main opportunities for future contributions. This review aims at offering a valuable reference for researchers in fields of engineering that are likely to turn to quantum computing for solutions. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-01-020 Full Text: PDF