Crane Boom Tip Obstacle Detection for Intersection Collision Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Work vehicles with protruding booms face challenges when entering intersections without traffic lights, as other vehicles may collide with the boom due to the driver's unawareness of its forward protrusion.

Innovation Solution

A work vehicle equipped with a sensor at the tip end of the boom to detect lateral obstacles, a brake device, and a controller that drives the brake based on detection data to prevent collisions by stopping the vehicle when an obstacle is approaching.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the boom protrudes forward from the vehicle body during traveling, then the work vehicle can maintain a compact configuration for transport, but the tip end portion of the boom becomes vulnerable to collision with other vehicles at intersections

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompact configurationVSAvoidcollision risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor detects obstacles before they reach the boom tip, and the controller activates the brake device in advance to prevent collision. This preliminary detection and response action resolves the contradiction by maintaining the compact protruding configuration while preventing harmful collisions through proactive safety measures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If a sensor and brake control system are added to detect and respond to obstacles, then collision prevention capability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision preventionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor system and brake control are integrated into the existing work vehicle platform, allowing the same hardware to serve both the vehicle's primary work functions and the safety function of preventing boom collisions. This multi-functionality approach improves reliability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The sensor continuously monitors the environment and provides feedback to the controller, which adjusts the brake device accordingly. This closed-loop feedback system achieves reliable collision prevention through a relatively simple architecture where the sensor-controller-brake integration minimizes additional complexity while maximizing safety effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3868603B1Work vehicle
Publication Date: 2024.11.20 TADANO LTD
  • EP3868603B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3868603B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3868603B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

[Problem to be solved] Provided is a crane vehicle capable of preventing another vehicle from coming into contact with a tip end portion of a boom when entering an intersection or the like. [Solution] A controller 60 of a crane vehicle detects an obstacle on a lateral side of a tip end portion of a boom 42 by using left and right cameras 46 and 47 when the vehicle enters an intersection or the like. When it is determined that a detected obstacle may come into contact with the tip end portion of the boom 42, the controller 60 drives a brake device 70 to stop a crane vehicle 10, and causes a speaker 66 to output a warning sound. When it is determined that there is no risk of contact with the boom 42 as the detected obstacle stops, or moves away from the crane vehicle 10 by turning left or right, or passing an intersection, the controller 60 releases the driving of the brake device to enable travelling of the crane vehicle 10.