EV maker Rivian has been granted a new patent on a ‘virtual off-roading guide’ to make exploration easier for drivers.
According to a filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the company plans to use data from vehicles that have previously covered a given trail to adjust settings and coach drivers through the same stretch.
The patent, published on January 20, was first filed in September 2022.
In the application, Rivian noted that a virtual off-roading guide could be important for learning vehicle drivers in the off-roading community.
“Virtual off-road guides may be complicated by the lack of data available for off-road trails,” the company stated, as “each off-road trail is so unique to the underlying terrain that it may be hard for a learning vehicle driver to begin exploring such trails without a precedent driver available to teach them.”
“In some instances, the off-road drivers may want to traverse off-road trails, but may not want to manually adjust every driving parameter” and, therefore, a control system could provide “learning vehicles” with instructions based on trace parameters.
How it Works
According to the document filed with the USPTO, the trace parameters could “comprise location, orientation, relative position along the off-road trail, ride height, drive mode, brake regeneration level, steering angle, power consumption, acceleration, or torque.”
The control system of a precedent vehicle, upon completing a trail, will upload the trace to an online portal, which will store the data.
Rivian thinks the portal could also store information such as “metadata associated with the vehicle type, vehicle condition, vehicle modifications and/or upgrades, location, date, time, weather information, terrain information, driver experience level, driver off-roading history, power consumption data, vehicle load, or other types of relevant metadata.”
Then, when a learning vehicle reaches the off-road trail, it sends a request for the trace.
When selecting a suitable trace for the learning vehicle from all traces stored in the online portal, the request may include certain information, such as vehicle type, driver off-roading history, vehicle load, or vehicle condition.
In addition to this information, the online portal may also consider other factors to filter out less suitable options and/or generate a list of the best options for the learning vehicle.
Different Experiences
Driving over different types of terrain is facilitated, as drivers can simply switch drive modes via the touchscreen, without needing to shift into low range or engage differential-lock switches.
When approaching a trail previously scouted by another vehicle, drivers can select an experience level — “Beginner,” “Intermediate,” or “Expert” — based on the images shown in the patent filing.
The dashboard can also provide messages with tips on how to tackle specific terrains.
According to the New York-based media outlet The Drive, it’s unclear when — or if — it will be available to customers.
Rivian could rely on experienced owners to share off-roading data to help develop the system, the same way it does with the assisted driving software.
Rivian Off-Roading
The company’s electric vehicles have off-road capabilities that gas trucks usually don’t — these include instant torque distribution for better traction on varied terrain and a low center of gravity from the underbody battery placement, which improves stability.
Rivian‘s R1 series, specifically designed for off-roading, supports a maximum water fording depth of 39 inches, according to its website.
The company is preparing to launch its R2 mid-size SUV, targeting a more affordable market.
A few months ago, Rivian showcased its upcoming R2 SUV being tested for water fording, with videos showing it driving through water up to 30 inches deep.
In August, the company’s founder and CEO RJ Scaringe teased the launch of a midsize off-road SUV, likely named the R2X.
“It doesn’t take a huge amount of imagination to think of, like, what comes (next), like, if there’s R2, what are the other R2 variants, yeah?,” he stated, adding that the EV maker “sort of hinted at that with R3, where we did an R3X.”
Both SUVs were unveiled in March 2024, alongside the R2 model.
Late last year, Rivian was granted a patent for a battery pack strike shield, which attaches to the bottom of the battery packs, protecting the batteries from damage if the vehicle hits the ground.
Rivian explained that this protection is especially important for electric off-road vehicles, which often drive over uneven terrain and are therefore at a higher risk of ground strikes.
