Autonomous Industrial Truck Obstacle Avoidance Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous industrial trucks face challenges in avoiding collisions with obstacles due to limitations in real-time obstacle detection and velocity adjustment, particularly in omnidirectional movements, which can lead to potential collisions in 3 degrees of freedom (translation and rotation).
Innovation Solution
An autonomous industrial truck method involving a measuring apparatus (like a laser scanner) to detect obstacles and determine collision points, adjusting maximum velocities to ensure the truck comes to a stop before collisions, utilizing a vehicle coordinate system and contour modeling to calculate distances and velocities for omnidirectional movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the industrial truck moves at high velocity to maintain productivity, then productivity is improved, but the risk of collision with obstacles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary obstacle detection and collision risk assessment before the truck reaches dangerous distances. The measuring apparatus continuously scans the environment ahead of time, and the control apparatus calculates potential collision points and adjusts velocity proactively, allowing the truck to maintain higher speeds while still preventing collisions through advance preparation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where the measuring apparatus monitors obstacle positions, the control apparatus recalculates collision risks and optimal velocities, and the drive apparatus adjusts movement in real-time. This closed-loop control enables the truck to maintain high productivity while dynamically adapting velocity to ensure collision avoidance based on current environmental conditions.
2Measurement precision
If the measuring apparatus scans the environment frequently to improve obstacle detection accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but the use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the scanning frequency and measurement intensity based on the truck's current state and environmental context. When obstacles are detected at high speed or in critical positions, the measuring apparatus increases scan frequency to improve precision. When the environment is clear or the truck is moving slowly, scanning frequency is reduced to conserve energy, optimizing the balance between detection accuracy and energy consumption.
3Reliability
If the control apparatus calculates collision points and maximum velocities in real-time to improve collision avoidance, then reliability is improved, but the computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus segments the complex collision avoidance problem into distinct computational modules: obstacle detection, collision point calculation, velocity determination, and drive control. Each module handles a specific aspect of the problem independently, which simplifies the overall computational complexity while maintaining high reliability through specialized processing for each function.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the industrial truck maintains omnidirectional movement capability to improve operational versatility, then adaptability is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring collision risks increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by determining collision points on specific local regions of the truck body (front, rear, left, right sides) rather than treating the vehicle as a single unit. The measuring apparatus and control apparatus calculate collision risks for each local area independently based on the truck's orientation and movement vector, making the complex omnidirectional collision detection problem more manageable through localized analysis.
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
Effectively prevents collisions by accurately determining collision points and adjusting velocities in real-time, ensuring safe operation of omnidirectional industrial trucks by maintaining movement form and avoiding obstacles in complex paths.
Implementation Method 1
The measuring apparatus includes for example a laser scanner
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for operating an autonomous industrial truck (1), having the following method steps: determining, by means of a measuring apparatus (6) of the autonomous industrial truck (1), whether the industrial truck potentially hits at least one obstacle (7) on the basis of the present movement of said industrial truck (1), determining that point (14) of the industrial truck (1), and determining a maximum velocity for the present movement of the industrial truck (1) on the basis of the determined distance (d), with the result that the industrial truck reliably comes to a standstill in front of the obstacle (7) on the basis of possible braking of the industrial truck (1).