Modular Autonomous Vehicle Coupling for Flexible Route Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current self-driving vehicles have space limitations and can only accommodate a fixed number of people, restricting their capacity for efficient transportation on main routes and flexibility on diverse routes.
Innovation Solution
The system combines independent driving vehicles into a single rigid assembly for efficient transportation on main routes and allows them to separate into independent vehicles for flexible routing, using retractable couplings with multiple degrees of freedom to accommodate misalignment and slaved vehicle systems for coordinated control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If self-driving vehicles operate as individual units, then routing flexibility on diverse routes is maintained, but transportation efficiency on main routes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle system dynamically transitions between individual and coupled states based on route requirements. Vehicles can couple together on main routes to improve efficiency, then separate at divergence points to maintain routing flexibility. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to optimize for productivity when vehicles travel together and for adaptability when they separate.
Solution Approach 2:
The transportation system is segmented into independent vehicle units that can operate autonomously or combine into larger assemblies. This segmentation allows vehicles to maintain individual routing capabilities when needed while enabling efficient consolidated transport when traveling together on common routes.
2Productivity
If vehicles combine into rigid assemblies, then transportation efficiency on common routes improves, but routing flexibility for diverse destinations is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling system is designed to be dynamic rather than permanent, allowing vehicles to form rigid assemblies for efficient travel on common routes, then easily separate when routing flexibility is needed. The retractable coupling mechanism enables this dynamic reconfiguration without permanent structural modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle assembly is segmented into independently controllable units with individual coupling mechanisms. This allows the assembly to maintain rigid coupling for efficiency during travel, while enabling any unit to separate independently when routing flexibility is required, preventing the loss of adaptability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If coupling mechanisms are made rigid for stable assembly, then misalignment during engagement cannot be accommodated
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism transitions from a flexible state during engagement to a rigid state during operation. During the engagement phase, the coupling allows movement and adjustment to accommodate misalignment. Once engaged, it locks into a rigid configuration to provide stable assembly during travel.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling system performs preliminary alignment and engagement actions before final locking. The retractable coupling extends to make initial contact and accommodate misalignment, then progressively engages and locks to achieve rigid coupling, ensuring both ease of operation and assembly stability.
4Productivity
If vehicles maintain fixed passenger capacity, then space utilization is simple to manage, but transportation efficiency on common routes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The passenger capacity of each vehicle dynamically changes based on coupling status. When vehicles couple together, the effective capacity increases to accommodate more passengers. When vehicles separate, capacity returns to individual vehicle limits. This dynamic capacity management improves transportation efficiency without requiring complex permanent modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle system serves multiple functions: individual vehicle operation for flexible routing and coupled assembly operation for efficient mass transport. The coupling mechanism itself is multi-functional, serving both as a mechanical connector and as a means to dynamically adjust passenger capacity based on operational requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus and system for: combining independent driving vehicles into a single assembly for condensed, efficient, variable capacity transportation on common routes; and for separating into independent vehicles for flexibility on diverse routes. Connection logistics are exchanged locally via line of sight optical channel. Retractable coupling and mated coupling on opposing ends of the vehicles provide multiple degrees of freedom (DOF) to accommodate misalignment during initial dynamic engagement, and lock as rigidly coupled assembly with zero DOF. Mating vehicles' doors open during transit, permitting inter-vehicle movement and consolidation of passengers en route to urban locales, and release of empty vehicles. On return, independent vehicles combine to dense passenger vehicles from urban locales for redistribution of passengers in individual vehicles that later separate for diverse destinations. Slaved vehicle systems allow one vehicle to control coupled vehicles' systems of retractable suspension, coordinated steering, power sharing. Utility vehicles couple to assembly for service.