Aerial Lift Occupancy Sensor and Harness Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aerial lift safety systems lack the ability to determine the number of occupants and ensure that all individuals are securely attached with safety harnesses before deployment, posing a risk of accidents due to falls or tip-overs.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising sensors and a data acquisition unit that detects the number of occupants in the lift bucket and verifies the engagement of safety harnesses, preventing lift deployment if any occupant is not securely attached, and logging pre-deployment safety checks to ensure compliance with safety protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional safety systems are used to detect operator attachment, then single operator safety can be monitored, but the system cannot identify when there is more than one person in the aerial lift
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system is divided into multiple independent sensor units distributed throughout the bucket. Each sensor independently detects occupancy in its local zone, and the data acquisition unit aggregates these segmented detections to determine total occupancy count and distribution, enabling multi-occupant detection without requiring a single complex detection system
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system serves multiple functions: detecting individual occupancy, determining total occupancy count, identifying occupancy distribution within the bucket, and triggering appropriate safety alerts. This multi-functionality allows the system to address various safety scenarios with a unified detection architecture
2Reliability
If the system prevents lift deployment to ensure safety, then accident risk is reduced, but operational efficiency may be compromised due to additional safety checks
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs occupancy verification and safety checks before lift deployment is initiated. By detecting occupants and verifying safety harness attachment in advance, the system prevents unsafe deployments without requiring interruptions during operation, thereby maintaining efficiency while ensuring safety
Solution Approach 2:
The data acquisition unit continuously monitors sensor data and provides real-time feedback regarding occupancy status and safety compliance. This feedback mechanism enables operators to immediately address safety issues before deployment, streamlining the safety verification process rather than adding bureaucratic delays
Data Source
AI summary
Sensors on an aerial lift device determine the number of occupants in and occupant portion of the aerial lift device. Prior to permitting the occupant portion to rise up off the ground, the system checks the engagement of safety harnesses to verify that the number of engaged safety harnesses matches the number of occupants in the occupant portion of the aerial lift. If the number matches, operation of the aerial lift may be enabled and the occupant portion deployed. If the number does not match, an alarm is sounded and deployment of the occupant portion may be disabled. With pre-deployment safety testing, and no occupants in the occupant portion, the occupant portion may be deployed to verify all operational status of the occupant portion with no occupants. The system may further create a data log to verify the time and successful pre-deployment safety check.