Train Obstacle Detection With Adaptive Sensor Range Reallocation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing obstacle detection systems for vehicles, particularly those with long braking distances like trains, fail to adequately address sensor malfunctions, leading to discontinuation of operation when some sensors malfunction.
Innovation Solution
An obstacle detection system with multiple sensors and signal processing units that dynamically adjusts detection ranges and reallocates resources to maintain continuous operation by compensating for malfunctioning sensors, ensuring robustness through overlapping detection ranges and reallocating calculation resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If multiple sensors are used to cover long detection ranges for trains with long braking distances, then the detection coverage is improved, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The detection range is divided into multiple sections, with each sensor responsible for a specific section. This segmentation allows the system to achieve long overall detection coverage while keeping each individual sensor simpler and more manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
Each sensor detects only a portion of the total required range, performing partial action. This approach allows the system to achieve complete coverage through multiple sensors while reducing the complexity burden on any single sensor component.
2Reliability
If the vehicle stops operation when a sensor malfunctions to ensure safety, then the safety is improved, but the productivity and availability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes alternative detection arrangements where remaining functional sensors can compensate for malfunctioning ones. This preliminary preparation allows the system to maintain operation by switching to backup detection configurations before complete failure occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
When a sensor malfunctions, the system discards the faulty sensor's detection task and recovers functionality by reallocating detection responsibilities to remaining healthy sensors, thereby maintaining overall system operation and availability.
3Length of stationary object
If the detection range of remaining sensors is expanded to compensate for malfunctioning sensors, then the detection coverage is maintained, but the measurement precision and reliability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system compensates for reduced precision in individual sensors by utilizing spatial and temporal dimensions - multiple sensors observing from different positions and combining their data over time, thereby maintaining overall detection precision even when individual sensors operate at expanded ranges.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a composite detection capability by combining data from multiple sensors, where the collective detection precision of the sensor network compensates for the reduced precision of individual sensors operating at expanded ranges.
4Adaptability or versatility
If human substitution means are introduced for obstacle detection when sensors malfunction, then the system adaptability is improved, but the ease of operation and automation decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The controller acts as an intermediary that automatically manages the transition between automated sensor-based detection and human-based detection. This intermediary function maintains ease of operation by handling the complexity of mode switching and coordination without requiring direct human intervention in the detection process itself.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of continuously operating a vehicle even when malfunction occurs in some of a plurality of sensors. A representative obstacle detection system of the present invention is an obstacle detection system including M sensors and signal processing units corresponding to the M sensors, the obstacle detection system including: an m-th sensor that detects an m-th detection range that is a range extending in a traveling direction that is a direction in which a vehicle travels toward the course; and a controller that controls the m-th sensor and the signal processing unit, in which the controller performs at least one change processing of first change processing of causing a first end to approach the vehicle and second change processing of causing a second end to move away from the vehicle, and changes at least a p-th detection range to change the obstacle detection range.