Autonomous Carrier Coordination Through Shared Obstacle Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing unmanned carrier vehicles cannot share information about detected obstacles or burdens with other vehicles, limiting their ability to operate safely and efficiently in coordinated movements.
Innovation Solution
A carrier system comprising autonomous vehicles equipped with sensors and communication units that detect situations and share information with a management device, allowing other carriers to receive and act upon this information for coordinated operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each carrier operates autonomously with its own sensor, then the carrier can independently detect obstacles and travel safely, but the detected information is not available to other carriers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a management device as an intermediary that receives detected information from one carrier and transmits it to other carriers. This mediator enables information sharing across the carrier system without requiring direct carrier-to-carrier communication, resolving the contradiction between autonomous operation and information availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the information sharing function from the autonomous navigation function. Each carrier maintains its autonomous detection capability while separately implementing information transmission through the management device, allowing both independent operation and collective awareness to coexist.
2Extent of automation
If carriers operate independently without information sharing, then each carrier can function autonomously, but coordinated operation and efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The management device serves as a coordinator that enables productive collaboration among autonomous carriers. It collects route information from one carrier and distributes it to others, allowing the system to achieve coordinated operation efficiency while preserving individual carrier autonomy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the individual detection capabilities of multiple carriers with a centralized information management system. This combination allows autonomous operation to be maintained at the carrier level while achieving system-level coordination and improved productivity through shared information.
3Productivity
If carriers share all detected information, then coordinated operation improves, but system complexity and communication overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential route and obstacle information from the full set of sensor data for transmission through the management device. This selective information extraction reduces communication overhead and system complexity while maintaining the productivity benefits of coordinated operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The management device performs multiple functions: receiving information from carriers, processing and storing route data, and transmitting information to other carriers. This multi-functionality consolidates complexity into a single device rather than requiring complex peer-to-peer communication infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
A carrier includes a body, a sensor, and an output unit. The body has the ability to travel autonomously and includes a holding mechanism for holding a burden. The sensor is provided for the body and detects a situation surrounding the body. The output unit outputs detected information, collected by the sensor, about the situation to a management device that manages operation of another carrier.