Autonomous Carrier Vehicle with Rotatable Chassis for Swarm Logistics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous agricultural swarm systems require multiple machine combinations for high power, leading to increased costs for safety systems and frequent logistics refills due to small storage tanks, and necessitate additional transport vehicles for road transport.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous agricultural carrier vehicle with rotatable chassis constructions, a drive apparatus, control apparatus, and environment sensor system, allowing for versatile operation and improved functional safety by enabling 90° rotation and orthogonal working and road travel directions, along with adjustable height and steerable chassis for uneven terrain and efficient logistics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If multiple machine combinations are used in a swarm system to achieve high power, then power output is improved, but costs for safety systems increase and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple chassis constructions (at least two) into a single integrated vehicle platform, sharing common safety systems, control apparatus, and environment sensors. This merging approach maintains high power output through multiple drive units while eliminating redundant safety systems that would otherwise be required for each separate machine combination in a swarm system.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle is designed with universal components that serve multiple functions: the control apparatus manages both autonomous navigation and safety monitoring, the environment sensor system performs both obstacle detection and operational sensing, and the chassis constructions can be configured for different operational modes. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized systems, lowering overall complexity and cost.
2Power
If multiple machine combinations are used in a swarm system to achieve high power, then power output is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple chassis constructions (at least two) into a single integrated vehicle platform, sharing common safety systems, control apparatus, and environment sensors. This merging approach maintains high power output through multiple drive units while eliminating redundant safety systems that would otherwise be required for each separate machine combination in a swarm system.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional transport vehicles are used for road transport of machine combinations, then transport capability is improved, but device complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle features dynamically reconfigurable chassis constructions that can rotate about vertically oriented axes by at least 90 degrees. This dynamic capability allows the same vehicle platform to adapt between different operational configurations and transport modes without requiring separate dedicated transport vehicles, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining versatile transport capability.
4Volume of moving object
If small storage tanks are used in swarm systems for material distribution, then vehicle size is reduced, but productivity decreases due to frequent refills
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple chassis constructions into a single vehicle platform with a shared material storage system. This combining approach provides a larger total storage capacity than individual small tanks in swarm systems, eliminating frequent refill operations and improving productivity, while the integrated design maintains compact overall vehicle dimensions through efficient space utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an autonomous agricultural carrier vehicle including a frame construction with mounting devices configured to carry and guide at least one agricultural implement; at least two chassis constructions which are mounted on the frame construction; a drive apparatus having a drive train which is coupled to the least two chassis constructions and is configured to specify a driving speed; and a control apparatus and an environment sensor system which is signal-connected and/or signal-connectable to the control apparatus. The chassis constructions are preferably mounted rotatably about at least 90° about vertically oriented axes. Also disclosed is an autonomous agricultural machine in combination with the autonomous agricultural carrier vehicle.