Boat Trailer Guidance Control for Automated Loading in Rough Water
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Solution Overview
Problem
Loading a boat onto a trailer is challenging, especially in adverse weather conditions, leading to potential damage and preventing individuals from renting or purchasing a boat due to safety concerns.
Innovation Solution
An automated boat loading system using a trailer as a centralized controller, equipped with sensors and a motion planning system to guide the boat onto the trailer, incorporating localization, limit switches, and AI for optimal trajectory planning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual loading is used, then the system is simple, but the loading process is unsafe and prone to damage in adverse weather conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The boat's control system autonomously executes the loading maneuver without requiring manual intervention during the critical positioning phase. The system self-regulates thrust and steering based on pre-computed trajectories, eliminating human exposure to hazardous conditions while maintaining operational simplicity for the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical steering and thrust control with automated electronic control systems. The control system processes sensor data and automatically adjusts the boat's propulsion and navigation, substituting human physical operation with automated mechanical-electronic systems to improve safety.
2Reliability
If automated control is implemented, then loading safety improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The boat's existing control system performs multiple functions: it handles both normal navigation and the specialized automated loading maneuver. The system integrates sensor processing, trajectory execution, and environmental adaptation within a single multi-functional control architecture, reducing the need for separate dedicated systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system continuously receives feedback from sensors monitoring the boat's position, orientation, and environmental conditions. This feedback loop enables real-time adjustments to the loading trajectory, ensuring safe and precise positioning on the trailer while maintaining system simplicity through iterative correction rather than complex pre-planning.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual steering is used in high winds and currents, then the operator has direct control, but the loading precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual steering control with automated electronic steering control during the loading maneuver. The electronic system processes sensor data and automatically adjusts steering angles to maintain precise trajectory, eliminating the imprecision introduced by manual operation in adverse conditions while requiring minimal user input.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically adjusts operational parameters such as thrust magnitude, steering angle, and speed based on real-time environmental conditions and positioning data. This adaptive parameter adjustment enables precise loading positioning by continuously optimizing control inputs according to actual conditions rather than relying on fixed manual control.
4Manufacturing precision
If automated motion planning is used, then loading precision improves, but the computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-computes the loading trajectory and control parameters before execution, storing the motion plan for later execution. This preliminary action allows complex computational tasks to be performed when computational resources are available, reducing real-time computational energy requirements while maintaining high trajectory accuracy during the actual loading maneuver.
Solution Approach 2:
The motion planning system dynamically adjusts trajectory parameters based on environmental conditions and boat performance characteristics. By optimizing parameters such as waypoint positions, speed profiles, and steering commands, the system achieves high precision loading while minimizing computational energy consumption through efficient parameter selection rather than exhaustive computation.
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
Facilitates safe and damage-free loading of boats onto trailers, even in challenging conditions, by accurately guiding the boat using motion planning and adjusting for environmental factors.
Implementation Method 1
a first device for receiving radio signals from a second device on the boat
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for automatically loading a boat onto a trailer include a boat trailer acting as a centralized fixed point (or leader) for commanding a moving boat (or follower). The boat trailer is equipped with systems and components to identify and track a boat in three-dimensional space; to generate motion planning information (for example, way points and vectors) that can be used by a control system of the boat to automatically guide the boat through the water and onto the boat trailer; and to detect when the process of loading the boat onto the boat trailer is complete. The boat may include one or more tags that aid in identifying and/or locating the boat in space, as well as a control system that can automatically move the boat in response to information received from the boat trailer.