Combine Route Segmentation for Safer Autonomous Travel Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional work vehicles face issues with unintended autonomous travel initiation due to accidental button presses, leading to safety concerns and reduced workability, especially in high-risk scenarios, and the process of checking risk priority reduces efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an autonomous driving method that distinguishes between allowance operation member-requiring and non-requiring routes, allowing autonomous travel in non-requiring routes without manual input and requiring input in requiring routes, enhancing safety and workability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If autonomous travel is enabled with a simple start button, then ease of operation is improved, but unintended autonomous travel initiation occurs reducing safety
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the operational parameter of the start button from a single-press activation to a multi-press sequence (first press enters selection mode, second press executes). This parameter change in the button's activation requirement prevents accidental initiation while maintaining ease of operation through a simple sequential interaction.
2Reliability
If risk priority checking is performed for each route, then safety is improved, but workability is reduced due to increased process complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary classification of routes into high-risk and low-risk categories during the route creation phase. This preliminary action assigns safety levels in advance, so that during autonomous travel execution, the system only needs to verify the pre-assigned classification rather than performing complex real-time risk assessments, thereby maintaining safety while improving workability.
3Productivity
If autonomous travel continues without interruption, then productivity is improved, but safety decreases when high-risk routes are encountered
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by notifying the worker before the work vehicle approaches a high-risk route section. This advance notification allows the worker to prepare for potential interruptions while maintaining continuous autonomous travel through low-risk sections, thus balancing productivity with safety through informed monitoring.
4Reliability
If manual operation is required for all routes, then safety is improved, but workability decreases due to increased operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments routes into high-risk and low-risk categories, applying different operational requirements to each segment. Low-risk routes allow autonomous travel without manual intervention, while high-risk routes require worker attention and potential manual takeover. This segmentation enables autonomous operation to proceed without excessive manual intervention while maintaining safety through targeted monitoring of critical sections.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
[Problem] To provide an autonomous driving method, a work vehicle, and an autonomous driving system by which it is possible to increase safety and workability while mitigating autonomous travel not intended by a worker. [Solution] A combine 1 is a work vehicle that engages in autonomous travel on the basis of a preset travel route, the combine comprising: an autonomous travel permitting switch 34 that is an autonomous travel permitting operation member that permits autonomous travel; and a control device 50 that functions as a travel route creation unit 61 that creates a travel route having a permitting switch unneeded route (permitting operation member unneeded route) and a permitting switch needed route (permitting operation member needed route) and that functions as an autonomous travel control unit 62 that controls autonomous travel based on the travel route. The autonomous travel control unit 62 executes autonomous travel regardless of operation (pressing) of the autonomous travel permitting switch in the permitting switch unneeded route while executing autonomous travel upon autonomous travel being enabled according to operation (pressing) of the autonomous travel permitting switch in the permitting switch needed route.