Autonomous Earth-Moving Vehicle Risk Thresholds for Dig Site Pauses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current earth moving vehicles rely on manual operators, leading to high operational costs and increased risk due to unpredictable earth movement and limited sensor data, resulting in reduced quality of work and potential human errors at dig sites.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous or semi-autonomous earth moving system that integrates sensors into earth moving vehicles to record positions, orientations, and site conditions, generating digital representations and instructions for excavating earth, allowing the vehicle to navigate and perform operations independently while monitoring risk levels and adjusting its behavior accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual operators are used to operate earth moving vehicles, then human judgment and flexibility are maintained, but operational costs increase and human error risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The earth moving vehicle is equipped with sensors, processors, and control systems that enable it to autonomously detect site conditions, assess risks, and adjust its own operation without continuous human intervention. The vehicle serves itself by making real-time decisions based on sensor data and pre-programmed risk assessment algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical human operator with an automated control system comprising sensors, processors, and actuators. This substitution eliminates human error while maintaining operational capability through electronic and computational systems that detect, analyze, and respond to site conditions.
2Productivity
If manual operators are deployed continuously, then operational flexibility is maintained, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous earth moving vehicle operates independently using onboard sensors and control systems, eliminating the need for continuous human presence and reducing labor costs. The vehicle autonomously navigates, excavates, and adapts to site conditions without requiring operator intervention for each action.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated system enables continuous operation of the earth moving vehicle without breaks or interruptions required by human operators. The vehicle can maintain consistent productivity levels throughout extended periods, optimizing resource utilization and reducing operational costs.
3Reliability
If manual operators monitor earth movement, then human expertise is applied, but detection capability is limited by sensor data availability
Solution Approach 1:
The control system integrates multiple functions including sensor data acquisition, risk assessment, navigation control, and operation monitoring into a single unified autonomous system. This multi-functional approach manages complexity by consolidating diverse capabilities within an integrated architectural framework.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer between sensors and actuators that includes risk assessment algorithms and decision-making logic. This intermediary layer processes raw sensor data, evaluates potential risks, and generates appropriate control commands, managing system complexity through structured information processing.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If manual operators work at dig sites, then human adaptability is utilized, but safety risks increase due to unpredictable earth movement
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous system performs preliminary risk assessment by continuously analyzing sensor data before executing earth moving operations. The control system evaluates potential hazards such as unstable ground conditions or unexpected earth movement patterns and adjusts operations preemptively to prevent safety incidents.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements real-time feedback loops where sensors continuously monitor site conditions, the processor analyzes data for risk indicators, and the control system adjusts vehicle operations immediately in response to detected hazards. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables dynamic safety management throughout the earth moving process.
Data Source
AI summary
An earth moving vehicle (EMV) autonomously performs an earth moving operation within a dig site. If the EMV determines that a state of the EMV or the dig site triggers a triggering condition associated with a pause in the autonomous behavior of the EMV, the EMV determines a risk associated with the state or triggering condition. If the risk is greater than a first threshold, the EMV continues the autonomous performance and notifies a remote operator that the triggering condition was triggered. If the risk is greater than the first threshold risk but less than a second threshold risk, the EMV is configured to operate in a default state before continuing and notifying the remote operator. If the risk is greater than the second threshold risk, the EMV notifies the remote operator of the state pauses the performance until feedback is received from the remote operator.