Articulated Vehicle Steering with Automatic Rear Frame Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Articulated tractors face challenges in precise steering due to their configuration, which can lead to difficulties in navigating through fields, planting, or pulling harvested crops, as the position of the front and rear axles cannot be adjusted independently, affecting traction and control.
Innovation Solution
An articulated vehicle with a front wheel steering system and an articulator that adjusts the position of the rear frame relative to the front frame, using sensors and a controller to receive steering instructions and adjust wheel positions automatically, ensuring the rear wheels follow the same path as the front wheels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the articulator adjusts the position of the rear frame relative to the front frame, then maneuverability and steering control are improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional control systems and sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs sensors to detect the position of front and rear wheels, feeding this information back to a controller that automatically adjusts the articulator to maintain proper wheel alignment and tracking, resolving the steering control issue while managing system complexity through automated feedback loops
Solution Approach 2:
The steering system is designed to self-regulate by using sensors and controllers that automatically adjust the articulator position based on detected wheel positions, eliminating the need for manual intervention and reducing the operational complexity despite added automated components
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the rear wheels follow the same path as the front wheels, then soil compaction is reduced and crop yield improves, but the measurement precision requirements increase to ensure accurate tracking
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors continuously monitor the position of front and rear wheels, providing feedback to the controller that adjusts the articulator to ensure rear wheels follow the same path as front wheels, thereby reducing soil compaction while maintaining precise tracking through automated position correction
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual steering mechanisms with an automated electronic control system that uses sensors and controllers to precisely manage wheel positions and articulator adjustment, reducing soil compaction through accurate automated tracking rather than mechanical steering alone
3Productivity
If the front wheel steering system and articulator work together for automatic steering, then productivity and operational efficiency improve, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the front wheel steering system with the articulator control into an integrated automatic steering system that operates together to improve productivity, combining multiple functions into a unified control architecture that manages both steering and articulation simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated steering system performs multiple functions including front wheel steering, articulator control, and automatic path tracking through a single unified system that responds to sensor input and executes coordinated adjustments, maximizing operational efficiency while consolidating control functions
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic steering system and method for an articulated work vehicle having a front wheel steering system supported by front wheels at a front frame and a rear frame supported by rear wheels rotatably coupled to the front frame at an articulator. A controller operatively connected to the front wheel steering system and to the articulator adjusts wheels of the front wheel steering system along a path and moves the articulator to direct the rear frame in response to a steering signal. The steering signal directs the vehicle in a minimum turn radius mode or a controlled traffic control mode. In the minimum turn radius mode, the rear wheels do not follow the tracks of the front wheels when making a turn. In the controlled traffic mode the rear wheels follow in same tracks as the front wheels.