Bulldozer Six-Way Blade Swing Angle Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in accurately determining the swing angle and relative heading of a bulldozer blade with respect to the vehicle body, which is crucial for applications like automated driving or driving assistance.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising sensors mounted on a bulldozer to determine attitude measurements of the blade and attachment member with respect to an inertial reference frame, and a processor to calculate the swing angle and relative heading based on these measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional sensing methods are used for blade orientation measurement, then the system structure is simple, but the measurement precision of swing angle and relative heading is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, and/or magnetometers) into an integrated sensor system that simultaneously measures multiple orientation parameters. This merging approach achieves high-precision swing angle and relative heading measurements while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate measurement systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system is designed to perform multiple functions: measuring swing angle, relative heading, and potentially other orientation parameters using the same sensor suite. This multi-functionality improves measurement precision without proportionally increasing system complexity.
2Reliability
If traditional sensing methods are used for blade orientation measurement, then the system is easy to operate, but the measurement drift is high
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs feedback mechanisms where sensor measurements are continuously processed and used to update blade orientation estimates. This feedback loop compensates for measurement drift and improves reliability, with the processing handled automatically to maintain ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical orientation sensing methods with electronic sensor-based measurement systems. This substitution reduces measurement drift and improves reliability while the electronic processing simplifies operation compared to mechanical adjustment systems.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are deployed to improve measurement accuracy, then the measurement precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sensors are merged into a unified measurement system that processes data from accelerometers, gyroscopes, and/or magnetometers together. This integration achieves improved relative heading measurement precision while managing complexity through combined processing rather than separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system is designed as a universal platform that uses the same sensor array for multiple measurement purposes including relative heading and swing angle. This multi-functionality justifies the sensor complexity by providing multiple precision measurements from a single integrated system.
Data Source
AI summary
Parameters of a six-way blade coupled to a vehicle are determined based on attitude measurements determined from a plurality of inertial sensors coupled to the vehicle. The vehicle can be a bulldozer. The parameters of the six-way blade can include the swing angle of the blade with respect to an attachment member that couples the blade to the vehicle body, as well as the relative heading of the blade with respect to the heading of the vehicle body.