Autonomous Vehicle Sensor Mounting for Trailer Clearance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous transport systems face challenges in safely and cost-effectively navigating with trailers, particularly in monitoring obstacles and people due to design constraints and navigation inaccuracies.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a contactless distance sensor, such as a laser scanner or ultrasonic sensor, mounted on the autonomous vehicle to detect obstacles and people in a sector-shaped area, allowing for safe navigation and collision avoidance, with a compact design that enables the vehicle to retract under the trailer and rotate independently, and includes sensors and mechanisms for precise steering angle determination and obstacle filtering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a non-contact detection distance sensor is mounted on the autonomous vehicle to detect obstacles and people, then safety and navigation accuracy are improved, but the vehicle body height increases and the vehicle cannot drive under trailers
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is mounted in a recessed position on the vehicle body rather than protruding outward, changing the spatial arrangement from external protrusion to internal integration. This allows the sensor to maintain its obstacle detection function while not increasing the vehicle's external dimensions, enabling the vehicle to pass under trailers.
Solution Approach 2:
The distance sensor is nested within the vehicle body structure, specifically in a recessed area, rather than being mounted externally. This nesting approach allows the sensor to be protected and integrated into the vehicle design without adding to the overall height, resolving the contradiction between safety functionality and dimensional constraints.
2Area of stationary object
If the non-contact detection distance sensor protrudes above the maximum height of the vehicle body, then the sensor can monitor a larger area, but the autonomous vehicle cannot drive under trailers
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor's monitoring capability is maintained by utilizing the recessed mounting position to achieve optimal detection angles and coverage without increasing vertical height. The sensor can still scan lateral and rear areas effectively while remaining within the vehicle's maximum height envelope.
3Ease of operation
If the autonomous vehicle rotates on the spot around a central pivot point to navigate, then maneuverability is improved, but the trailer may collide with obstacles or people
Solution Approach 1:
The distance sensor detects obstacles and people in the trailer's potential path before the vehicle completes its rotation. This preliminary detection allows the control system to adjust the rotation trajectory or speed to avoid collisions, enabling safe spot rotation maneuvers.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor provides real-time feedback on the trailer's surrounding environment during rotation. This feedback loop allows the control system to continuously adjust the rotation parameters based on detected obstacles, ensuring the trailer does not collide with people or objects while maintaining maneuverability.
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
This solution enables safe and efficient operation of autonomous vehicles with trailers by enhancing obstacle detection and navigation accuracy, preventing collisions, and allowing the vehicle to operate under the trailer without protruding, thus reducing the risk of accidents and improving operational stability.
Implementation Method 1
The non-contact detecting distance sensor can be configured, for example, to emit a discrete single beam in a transmission direction and to change the transmission direction over time. This allows, for instance, the scanning of a sector-shaped area of the environment. The non-contact distance sensor can, for example, be configured as a laser scanner.
Implementation Method 2
Alternatively or additionally, the non-contact distance sensor can be configured to emit electromagnetic, acoustic, and/or optical waves uniformly or in a lobe pattern. Such a non-contact distance sensor can, for example, be configured as an ultrasonic sensor.
Implementation Method 3
The non-contact distance sensor can be configured, for example, to emit a discrete single beam in a transmission direction and to change the transmission direction over time. This allows, for instance, the scanning of a sector-shaped area of the environment. The non-contact distance sensor can, for example, be configured as a laser scanner.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to an autonomous vehicle having a vehicle body (2), a chassis (3) with at least one driven wheel (3a), a hitch (4) for coupling a trailer (5) to the autonomous vehicle (1) and at least one distance sensor (6) which detects in a contactless fashion and is configured to output signals (7) in at least one transmitting direction (S) and which is arranged on the autonomous vehicle (1) in such a way that it outputs the signals (7) at a height (h) which is below a maximum elevation (H) of the vehicle body (2), and the transmitting direction (S) of which has a directional component (R) which intersects, in a plan view of the autonomous vehicle 1, the horizontal projection of the vehicle body (2). The invention also relates to an associated trailer (5) and to an associated autonomous transportation system (22).