Acute-Angle Sensor Array for Driverless Vehicle Safety Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions for monitoring hazardous areas, such as laser scanners and mechanical bumpers, are expensive, inflexible, and unsuitable for small vehicles, which require a cost-effective and adaptable monitoring system for ensuring safety in machine safety standards.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising multiple non-contact time-of-flight sensors with detection beams arranged at an acute angle to the direction of movement, forming a flat protective field, and a central evaluation unit for error detection and safety-related signaling, ensuring detection of objects before they enter a defined braking zone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If laser scanners are used to monitor hazardous areas, then measurement precision and detection reliability are improved, but device complexity and cost increase, making them unsuitable for small vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the monitoring system into multiple simple one-dimensional scanning sensors arranged in a line, each covering a specific angular sector. This segmentation allows the system to achieve comprehensive two-dimensional monitoring coverage without requiring a single complex laser scanner, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining detection precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical laser scanning systems with a simpler arrangement of static or minimally moving sensors that utilize the vehicle's own movement to sweep the detection beams across the monitoring area, substituting mechanical complexity with a more elegant geometric solution
2Device complexity
If mechanical bumpers are used for monitoring, then device simplicity is improved, but measurement precision and contact-free operation capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact-based bumpers with optical non-contact distance-measuring sensors that detect objects using light beams, eliminating the need for physical contact while maintaining device simplicity through the use of straightforward sensor arrangements
3Area of stationary object
If sensors are arranged perpendicular to the direction of movement, then detection coverage is improved, but the ability to detect objects in the braking zone deteriorates due to blind spots
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an asymmetric sensor arrangement where sensors are positioned and angled specifically to cover the braking zone ahead of the vehicle, with detection beams oriented at angles that ensure complete coverage of the critical stopping distance area, eliminating blind spots that would exist with symmetric perpendicular arrangements
4Ease of operation
If the detection beams are arranged parallel to the direction of movement, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision and object detection capability worsen due to lack of lateral coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an angular dimension to the detection beam arrangement by orienting beams at specific angles relative to the direction of movement, transforming a one-dimensional parallel arrangement into a two-dimensional angular distribution that provides both longitudinal and lateral coverage, thereby maintaining ease of operation while significantly improving detection precision
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides a flexible, cost-effective monitoring system that ensures reliable detection of objects and prevents dangerous movements by generating safety-related switch-off signals, adhering to machine safety standards like EN/IEC 61496 and EN13849, with high spatial selectivity and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
the sensors are time-of-flight sensors, wherein the movable part is a driverless transport vehicle
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Device for monitoring a monitoring area (2) of a movable part (3) during movement of the part (3) in the direction of movement (4), comprising several sensors (5), and an evaluation unit (6) for evaluating the sensors (5), wherein the sensors (5) are arranged at intervals from each other transversely to the direction of movement (4), wherein the sensors (5) form an area-like protective field (7) which extends over the width of the part (3), wherein the sensors (5) are non-contact distance-measuring sensors, wherein the sensors (5) have a detection beam (9) for detecting objects (10) in the monitoring area (2), wherein the detection beams (9) of the sensors (5) are arranged at an acute angle α to the direction of movement (4) of the part (3).