Bi-Directional Autonomous Container Vehicles for Self-Loading Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transporting and manipulating containers or items in industrial facilities requires significant manual labor, limiting efficiency and scalability.
Innovation Solution
Autonomous vehicles equipped with independently steerable wheels, lifters, sensors, and control systems for automated or semi-automated transportation and handling of modular containers, enabling coordinated travel and efficient loading/unloading without human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual handling is used to transport and manipulate containers, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but productivity and efficiency are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous vehicle performs self-navigation, self-loading, and self-unloading operations without human intervention. The vehicle autonomously navigates to destinations, positions itself for loading/unloading, and manipulates containers using integrated robotic mechanisms, thereby eliminating the need for manual handling while significantly improving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical operations are replaced with automated robotic systems. The patent employs robotic manipulators, automated lifting mechanisms, and computer-controlled navigation systems to substitute human labor, enabling continuous operation and enhanced efficiency without manual intervention
2Productivity
If multiple vehicles and workers are deployed to transport containers, then transportation capacity increases, but device complexity and operational coordination become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
Each autonomous vehicle is designed as a multi-functional unit that can independently perform navigation, container manipulation, loading, and unloading operations. This universal design allows a single vehicle type to handle multiple tasks that previously required different vehicles and workers, reducing coordination complexity while maintaining high transportation capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The transportation system is segmented into independent autonomous vehicle units, each capable of autonomous operation. This segmentation allows vehicles to operate independently without requiring complex coordination protocols, as each unit makes its own navigation and operational decisions based on centralized dispatch instructions
3Productivity
If manual loading and unloading operations are used, then simplicity of operation is maintained, but productivity and processing speed are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous vehicle performs self-loading and self-unloading operations using integrated robotic manipulators and lifting mechanisms. The vehicle autonomously positions containers, secures them, and manages their transfer to/from storage areas without human intervention, dramatically increasing loading/unloading speed while eliminating manual operations
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous vehicle performs preliminary positioning and preparation actions before loading/unloading operations. The vehicle autonomously navigates to the correct position, aligns itself with storage areas or destinations, and prepares its manipulators in advance, enabling rapid and efficient container transfer operations without manual intervention
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and apparatuses for transporting a plurality of modular containers using one or more autonomous vehicles. The system may include a housing, motorized wheels, a proximity sensor, and a control system. The housing may have a body with a floor, a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and the motorized wheels may be rotatably attached to the housing. The proximity sensor may identify proximity of the housing to other objects. The control system may be communicably coupled to the proximity sensor and the plurality of motorized wheels and may instruct rotatable actuation and steering of at least one of the motorized wheels based on user input, input from the proximity sensor and/or input read from a memory storage device.