Camera-Based Fence Post Alignment System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for aligning fence posts over long distances are inaccurate and require multiple people, especially in variable topography, leading to potential errors in post placement and fence alignment.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a camera, transceivers, and a display that captures and transmits images to align fence posts with a reference path, allowing for precise alignment even over large distances using a single person, with features like servo motors for camera adjustment and touchscreen control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional visual alignment methods are used to place fence posts, then the process can be performed with simple tools, but alignment accuracy deteriorates over long distances and variable topography
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a camera to capture an image of the area containing the path and item, then displays this image on a screen with a reference path overlaid. This creates a visual copy of the physical space that can be viewed from a distance, allowing the user to see the entire path length and align posts accurately without being limited by line-of-sight constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a camera and display as intermediary devices between the user and the physical path. The camera captures the scene, the processor generates a reference path, and the display presents this information to the user, mediating the alignment process and eliminating the need for direct visual reference to distant end posts.
2Measurement precision
If surveying equipment is used to improve alignment accuracy, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical surveying equipment with a camera-based system. Instead of using theodolites, total stations, or other sophisticated surveying instruments, the system uses a standard camera to capture images and a display to show alignment references, dramatically simplifying the equipment while maintaining or improving accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy of the physical environment through camera imaging and displays it with overlaid reference information. This approach replaces the need for complex physical measurement and calculation processes with a simple visual display that the user can directly reference during post placement.
3Measurement precision
If two people are required to operate alignment equipment, then alignment accuracy can be maintained, but productivity decreases due to additional labor requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables a single user to perform alignment operations independently. The camera is positioned to capture the entire path, the processor automatically generates the reference path based on captured features, and the display presents all necessary alignment information to the user, eliminating the need for a second person to operate equipment or provide reference points.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera and display act as intermediaries that provide all necessary alignment information to a single user. The system captures spatial relationships, processes them to generate alignment references, and presents them visually, allowing one person to have access to information that would traditionally require two people to establish and maintain.
4Ease of operation
If end posts are used as reference points for placing intermediate posts, then alignment can be established, but cumulative errors occur over long distances
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by capturing an image of the entire path and calculating the reference path before the user begins placing posts. This pre-computation of alignment references based on the full path geometry eliminates the need for sequential reference to end posts, preventing cumulative errors from propagating through the fence line.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a visual copy of the entire path with the reference path overlaid on the display. This allows the user to see the complete alignment reference for the entire fence length simultaneously, rather than relying on sequential approximation from end posts, thereby eliminating cumulative errors while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for aligning an item along a path in an area comprising: a camera configured to capture an image containing part of the area and the item; a first transceiver connected to the camera to read the image from the camera; a second transceiver coupled to the first transceiver; a display connected to the second transceiver; wherein the first transceiver is configured to transmit the image to the second transceiver, the second transceiver is configured to transmit the image to the display in order to present the image on the screen of the display, and the transmitted image or the screen of the display includes a reference path, the reference path visible on the screen representing the path in the area; wherein the reference path is configured on the screen such that alignment of the reference path with the item in the image indicates alignment of the item in the area with the path in the area.