Autonomous Car Wash Navigation Using Infrastructure Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drivers face discomfort and navigation challenges when manually guiding vehicles through car washes, especially in transitioning between washing and drying chambers, as they require precise positioning and control.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for autonomously driving vehicles in car washes using detectors and transmitters to provide data on vehicle position and orientation, allowing for fully automatic entry, washing, drying, and exit, utilizing sensors like ultrasound, radar, or cameras for accurate detection and wireless communication for control signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the driver manually guides the vehicle through the car wash, then the driver can control the vehicle, but the driving experience becomes uncomfortable and challenging due to precise positioning requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle autonomously navigates the car wash by itself using onboard sensors (ultrasonic, radar, camera) to detect its position and orientation, and a control unit to automatically steer and position the vehicle. This eliminates the need for manual driver intervention, resolving the contradiction by making the system self-sufficient while improving comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical control by the driver is replaced with an automated electronic control system comprising detectors, a control unit, and actuators that automatically guide the vehicle through the car wash, thereby improving ease of operation without sacrificing control precision.
2Extent of automation
If onboard sensors are installed in the vehicle for autonomous navigation, then autonomous driving is enabled, but the vehicle weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The car wash infrastructure itself is equipped with detectors (ultrasonic, radar, or camera-based) that serve dual purposes: they detect the vehicle's position and orientation for autonomous navigation, and they function as part of the car wash's existing monitoring system. This shared functionality enables autonomous driving without adding dedicated sensors to the vehicle, thus avoiding weight increase.
3Ease of manufacture
If standard communication methods are used for data transmission, then cost is reduced, but communication reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The car wash infrastructure acts as an intermediary that receives detection data from its own detectors, processes the information, and transmits control signals to the vehicle using standard wireless communication methods. This intermediary role ensures reliable communication by centralizing the communication function in a controlled environment, allowing the use of cost-effective standard methods without compromising reliability.
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
Enhances comfort and safety by eliminating the need for driver intervention, reducing vehicle weight by removing onboard sensors, and providing cost-effective autonomous operation with standard communication methods.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing sensors like ultrasound, radar, or cameras for accurate detection
Implementation Method 2
utilizing sensors like ultrasound, radar, or cameras for accurate detection
Data Source
AI summary
A method for autonomously driving a motor vehicle in a car wash as well as a corresponding car wash is proposed in order to enhance the comfort and safety when autonomously driving through the car wash. The position and the orientation of the motor vehicle are detected by a sensor system of the car wash and transmitted to the motor vehicle. This makes it possible to automatically enter and move the vehicle onward in a car wash.