Adaptive Road Lighting for Vehicle-Specific Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current road illumination systems do not adapt to the specific requirements of different vehicle types, such as cars, lorries, or motorcycles, nor do they consider the preferences of vehicle users or the presence of automated vehicles, leading to suboptimal lighting conditions.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising roadside illumination sources, detectors, and a controller that adjusts illumination based on detected vehicle types, user preferences, and motion-related variables, using a database to map settings to vehicle parameters, and employing arbitration to prioritize settings between conflicting preferences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional homogeneous street lighting is used, then installation and operation are simple, but lighting conditions do not adapt to different vehicle types or user requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system transitions from a static homogeneous illumination approach to a dynamic adaptive system that modifies lighting parameters in real-time based on detected vehicle types, user preferences, and environmental conditions, thereby achieving versatility without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes lighting parameters (intensity, color temperature, timing) based on detected vehicle characteristics and user preferences, allowing the same physical infrastructure to serve multiple vehicle types optimally without requiring different hardware for each vehicle category
2Reliability
If lighting is adapted based on multiple vehicle parameters and user preferences, then lighting optimization is improved, but system complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes lighting profiles and preferences for different vehicle types and users, allowing rapid retrieval and application of appropriate settings without complex real-time calculations, thereby maintaining reliability while controlling processing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where detectors provide information about vehicle types and user preferences, which the controller uses to automatically adjust lighting settings, creating a closed-loop system that optimizes lighting without requiring complex manual intervention
3Reliability
If illumination is increased for autonomous vehicles with sensors, then sensor performance is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different illumination strategies to different spatial zones and vehicle types - providing enhanced lighting specifically where autonomous vehicle sensors require it, rather than uniformly increasing illumination across all areas, thereby improving sensor performance locally while controlling overall energy consumption
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A system comprising: one or more road-side illumination sources arranged to emit illumination to illuminate at least part of a road; one or more detectors arranged to detect a value of one or more parameters of a vehicle travelling on this road or this part of the road, the one or more parameters comprising a type of the vehicle and/or an identity of one or more users of the vehicle; and a controller arranged to control the illumination emitted by the one or more illumination sources, wherein the controller is configured to adapt the illumination in dependence on the detected value or values of the one or more detected parameters.