Field Work Machine Armrest Interlock for Autonomous Travel Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
In field work machines with automatic steering, drivers may have unstable postures when the armrest is raised, and emergency stops can be delayed as they need to operate the steering wheel, compromising safety during autonomous travel.
Innovation Solution
A field work machine equipped with a control unit that detects and responds to actions on the armrest, prohibiting autonomous travel when the armrest is in a non-use position or other safety conditions are not met, allowing for quick manual intervention and ensuring driver stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the armrest is raised to allow easy seedling transfer work, then the ease of operation is improved, but the driver's posture stability deteriorates and safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit is configured to prohibit autonomous travel before the driver completes the action of lowering the armrest. This preliminary check ensures that the driver is in a stable position before autonomous travel begins, preventing the safety issue while preserving the ease of operation when needed
2Stability of the object's composition
If the driver holds the armrest during autonomous travel, then the driver's posture stability is improved, but the ability to perform emergency stop deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously monitors the armrest position and provides feedback to determine whether autonomous travel should be permitted. When the armrest is in the raised position, the system detects this state and automatically prohibits autonomous travel, ensuring the driver can quickly access the steering wheel for emergency stops while maintaining posture stability when autonomous travel is active
3Productivity
If autonomous travel is permitted while the armrest is in non-use position, then productivity is improved, but safety deteriorates due to delayed emergency response
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a preliminary check of the armrest position before allowing autonomous travel to commence. Only when the armrest is detected to be in the lowered (use) position does the control unit permit autonomous travel, ensuring both productivity and safety are maintained
Data Source
AI summary
A field work machine is capable of performing autonomous travel in a field. The field work machine includes a driver's seat that is provided on a machine body, an armrest that is provided in the driver's seat, and a control unit that performs control related to the autonomous travel. The control unit prohibits the autonomous travel in response to a detection of a predetermined action that is performed with respect to the armrest by a worker on the machine body.