Autonomous Transport Vehicle With Adjustable Loading Platform
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous order picking vehicles, such as carts, have limited flexibility due to rigidly defined usable areas and are unable to adapt to varying aisle widths and object sizes in logistics centers, limiting their applicability in dynamic warehouse environments.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle with a variable loading platform and side walls that can adjust its usable area dynamically, using telescopically extendable and flexible materials, combined with a control system that navigates based on real-time changes in passage width and object dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the loading platform has a fixed usable area, then the vehicle structure is simple and stable, but the vehicle cannot adapt to objects of varying sizes and changing aisle widths
Solution Approach 1:
The loading platform is designed with dynamically adjustable dimensions through telescopic side walls that can extend and retract. The control system automatically adjusts the platform size based on detected object dimensions and aisle width measurements, transforming a static structure into an adaptive one that optimizes space utilization while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The side walls are constructed with nested telescopic sections that can slide within each other to change the platform dimensions. This nesting mechanism allows the structure to compact into a smaller configuration for narrow aisles while expanding to accommodate larger objects, effectively solving the adaptability-complexity contradiction through space-efficient design
2Adaptability or versatility
If the vehicle dimensions are precisely known and fixed, then autonomous navigation is straightforward, but the vehicle cannot navigate through changing aisle widths in logistics centers
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle is equipped with sensors that continuously measure aisle widths and detect changes in the environment. This real-time feedback is processed by the control system, which automatically adjusts the platform dimensions and modifies the navigation route accordingly, enabling the vehicle to adapt to dynamic warehouse conditions while maintaining autonomous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The control system performs preliminary measurements of aisle widths and object dimensions before navigation begins. Based on these preliminary assessments, the system pre-calculates the optimal platform configuration and planned route, allowing the vehicle to proactively adapt to upcoming constraints rather than reacting to them during movement
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle for autonomously transporting an object (1) to a destination, comprising a loading platform (7) for receiving the object (1), a side wall (9) extending longitudinally around the loading platform (7) and defining a usable area (8) of the loading platform (7), and a control system (6), wherein the loading platform (7) is configured to change the usable area (8) and the control system (6) is configured to navigate the vehicle to the destination along a route taking into account the change in the usable area (8).