Autonomous Traffic Simulation for Warehouse Safety Characterization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining characteristic values in autonomously navigable environments, such as warehouses with automated guided vehicles, are time-consuming and costly due to the need for long-term observation and extensive safety checks, leading to expensive hardware and disrupted operations.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that simulate traffic in these environments using a spatially resolving electronic representation, detecting and counting events of interest to determine characteristic values, allowing for faster and more efficient assessment of safety and operational parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If long-term observation and extensive safety checks are conducted to determine characteristic values, then reliability of safety assessment is improved, but loss of time and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by conducting simulations before actual deployment. The simulation environment pre-tests various traffic scenarios, vehicle behaviors, and safety conditions to determine characteristic values in advance. This allows the actual autonomous vehicle system to operate with pre-validated safety parameters, eliminating the need for lengthy real-world observation periods while maintaining high reliability in safety assessments.
2Measurement precision
If extensive safety checks and long-term observation are performed, then measurement precision of characteristic values is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements copying by creating a virtual simulation environment that replicates the real-world autonomous vehicle operating conditions. This digital twin or copy allows for extensive testing and precise measurement of characteristic values without affecting real-world productivity. The simulation copy can be run repeatedly with different parameters to achieve high measurement precision, while the actual deployment proceeds independently without delays.
3Reliability
If more comprehensive safety checks are conducted, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary simulation system that mediates between the simple autonomous vehicle control system and the need for comprehensive safety verification. The simulation environment acts as an intermediary layer where complex safety checks can be performed without adding complexity to the actual vehicle hardware or control systems. This intermediary allows extensive safety testing while keeping the deployed system relatively simple and cost-effective.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of determining one or more characteristic values for an environment automatically trafficable by vehicles comprises the steps: providing a spatially resolving, electronically usable representation of the environment; providing parameters that describe properties of vehicles and of the traffic in the environment; simulating the traffic in the environment with reference to the electronically usable representation of the environment and with reference to the parameters provided; in the simulation, detecting and counting events of interest, detecting and counting events of interest, determining the characteristic values with reference to the counter result, and outputting and/or storing the characteristic value.