Autonomous Transport Vehicles with Passive Modular Guideways
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conveyor technologies for product transport require complex and inflexible systems with extensive active guidance and control elements, making them costly and difficult to reconfigure for changing logistics needs within production and intralogistics processes.
Innovation Solution
A transport system comprising autonomous, self-propelled vehicles and passive guideway modules that can be easily connected and rearranged, eliminating the need for active control elements and cabling, with energy supplied via high-performance batteries or inductive power lines, allowing for flexible and rapid reconfiguration of transport layouts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional conveyor systems with active guidance and control elements are used, then transport reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The transport vehicles are equipped with autonomous navigation capabilities including onboard sensors (lasers, cameras, ultrasonic sensors), control units, and communication systems that enable them to independently determine their position, navigate to destinations, avoid obstacles, and communicate with the central control system without requiring active guidance infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical active guidance systems (such as physical guides, rails, or automated control infrastructure) with electronic and optical sensing systems onboard the vehicles, substituting mechanical control with intelligent autonomous navigation using sensors, processors, and wireless communication
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional conveyor systems with extensive cabling and active control elements are used, then transport control precision is improved, but ease of manufacture and reconfiguration worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the transport infrastructure into independent, modular transport vehicles that can operate autonomously, eliminating the need for continuous cabling and active control elements along the entire transport path, allowing flexible reconfiguration by simply repositioning individual vehicle units
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic, reconfigurable transport routes where vehicles can autonomously navigate and adapt their paths in real-time based on destination requirements, allowing the system to be reconfigured for different logistics needs without physical infrastructure changes
3Speed
If rail-guided conveyor systems with electrically powered vehicles are used, then transport speed is improved, but adaptability to changing logistics needs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The transport vehicles feature dynamic routing capabilities with autonomous navigation systems that allow them to independently determine optimal paths, change destinations, and adapt to varying logistics requirements in real-time, providing high-speed transport with full operational flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs universal transport vehicles that can perform multiple functions including autonomous navigation, obstacle detection and avoidance, wireless communication, and adaptive routing, allowing the same vehicle units to serve different logistics needs across various environments without specialized infrastructure
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
Enables the creation of flexible and cost-effective material flow systems that can be quickly set up and adapted within existing facilities, reducing the effort and expense associated with changes in transport layouts and improving scalability and adaptability.
Implementation Method 1
Each drive unit has a battery-powered drive motor
Implementation Method 2
energy supplied via high-performance batteries or inductive power lines
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1a
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a transport system with at least one autonomously self-driving transport vehicle 2, on which two chassis, each with at least four drive or running wheels 7, 8, are alternately activated for carrying the transport vehicle 2 on a roadway. Each chassis is assigned to one of two perpendicular directions of travel X, Y, in which lanes are arranged to form a perpendicular roadway network. The roadway network can be traversed by the transport vehicles 2 by means of the drive or running wheels 7, 8 of the chassis. The roadway network of lanes is formed by a plurality of separate, interconnectable track modules 1. Each track module 1 has at least one pair of lanes 6X, 6Y and is designed to accommodate a transport vehicle 2. The invention represents a symbiosis of autonomously driving, e.g.transport vehicles 2 designed as transport shuttles and passive, coded and combinable track modules 1 that can be assembled in any structure.