Articulating Vehicle Camera Assembly for Wide View and Retraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a trade-off between camera field of view and vehicle envelope size, as cameras placed outside the vehicle provide a better view but risk impact with obstacles, while being inside the vehicle envelope limits mobility and transport options.
Innovation Solution
An articulating camera assembly that extends outside the vehicle for a wide field of view but retracts into the vehicle when encountering obstacles or during transport, using a hinge and spring mechanism to switch between deployed and stowed positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the camera is placed outside the vehicle envelope, then the field of view is improved, but the vehicle profile and mobility are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The camera assembly is made dynamically movable between a deployed position (extending outside the vehicle envelope for wide field of view) and a stowed position (retracted within the vehicle envelope for compact profile). The hinge mechanism enables this dynamic reconfiguration, allowing the system to adapt its physical state based on operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera assembly is designed to nest within the vehicle envelope when stowed. The housing and camera components are configured to retract inside the vehicle's existing structural boundaries, minimizing the vehicle's external dimensions while maintaining the capability to extend outward when needed for imaging.
2Loss of information
If the camera is placed outside the vehicle envelope, then the field of view is improved, but the camera reliability is worsened due to impact risk
Solution Approach 1:
The camera assembly transitions from a static external mounting to a dynamic system that can retract. The hinge mechanism allows the camera to move between deployed and stowed positions, enabling the system to seek refuge (retract) when obstacle contact is detected or anticipated, thereby protecting the camera while maintaining field of view capability when safe.
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively retracts the camera assembly before actual impact occurs. Sensors or control logic detect potential obstacles or contact forces, triggering the hinge mechanism to retract the camera in advance, preventing damage before it happens.
3Length of moving object
If the vehicle envelope is minimized for mobility, then the transport capability is improved, but the camera field of view is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The camera assembly is designed as a movable component that can extend beyond the vehicle envelope when needed. The hinge mechanism enables the camera to articulate outward from the vehicle body, providing wide field of view during operational phases while allowing the vehicle to maintain a compact envelope during transport phases.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables a wide field of view while minimizing the vehicle's external dimensions, ensuring camera safety and maintaining mobility by retracting the camera assembly into the vehicle when necessary.
Implementation Method 1
a spring constructed and arranged to bias the housing to the deployed position and enabling the housing to assume the stowed position upon application of an external force to the housing
Implementation Method 2
a hinge that couples the housing to the vehicle. The hinge is constructed and arranged to enable rotation of the housing between a deployed position in which the set of cameras extends at least partially outside the vehicle and a stowed position in which the set of cameras is retracted within the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
An articulating camera assembly for a vehicle includes a housing, a set of cameras attached to the housing, and a hinge that couples the housing to the vehicle. The hinge is constructed and arranged to enable rotation of the housing between a deployed position in which the set of cameras extends at least partially outside the vehicle and a stowed position in which the set of cameras is retracted within the vehicle. Embodiments are directed to an articulating camera assembly, a vehicle that includes an articulating camera assembly, and a method of operating an articulating camera assembly.