AGV Bumper Extension Control for Collision Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic guided vehicles face challenges in enhancing safety performance and protecting objects during conveyance, as they lack effective mechanisms to prevent collisions and adjust to varying conveyance states.
Innovation Solution
The automatic guided vehicle is equipped with a lift unit, a bumper that is extendable and contractible, and a bumper controller that detects the bumper's extension state and adjusts its position based on the conveyance state, using sensors and actuators to control the bumper's extension and contraction, thereby preventing collisions and optimizing protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the bumper is fixed in position, then the structure is simple, but the protection performance cannot be optimized for different conveyance states
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to extend and contract based on conveyance state. The bumper includes a bumper body that can move relative to the vehicle body along the conveyance direction, enabling dynamic adjustment of protection coverage while maintaining relatively simple structural components.
Solution Approach 2:
The bumper's position parameter is changed dynamically based on conveyance state. The bumper controller adjusts the bumper extension amount according to detected conveyance parameters, optimizing protection performance for different operating conditions without requiring complex mechanical structures.
2Reliability
If the bumper extends outward from the object, then the protection coverage is improved, but the likelihood of collision with other objects increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper dynamically adjusts its extension state based on real-time detection of conveyance conditions. When the conveyance state indicates low collision risk, the bumper extends to provide maximum protection coverage. When risk increases, the bumper contracts to reduce collision probability, thus balancing protection and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The bumper controller continuously detects conveyance state parameters and uses this feedback to adjust the bumper extension amount. This closed-loop control ensures the bumper extends only when necessary for protection, reducing unnecessary collision risks while maintaining optimal protection coverage when needed.
3Ease of operation
If the vehicle size is smaller than the object, then the vehicle can navigate through narrow spaces, but the bumper must extend further to provide adequate protection
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper's extension amount is dynamically adjusted based on the size relationship between the vehicle and the object being conveyed. When the vehicle is smaller than the object, the bumper extends further to compensate for the size difference and provide adequate protection coverage, while the vehicle itself maintains its compact size for narrow space navigation.
Data Source
AI summary
In embodiments, an automatic guided vehicle includes a vehicle, a lift unit, a bumper, an extension detector, and a bumper controller. The vehicle is movable in at least a first direction. The lift unit is provided in the vehicle and lifts an object from below the object. The bumper is provided in the vehicle and is extendable and contractible in the first direction. The extension detector detects that the bumper has extended outward from the object in the first direction. The bumper controller controls a state of the bumper according to a conveyance state of the object by the vehicle.