Crawler Meshing Part Tracking for Anomaly Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing crawler systems for tracked vehicles are limited in their ability to acquire information about non-communicable crawlers, restricting the freedom of crawler selection and requiring extensive maintenance when failures occur, leading to prolonged downtime.
Innovation Solution
An information acquisition apparatus that includes a storage unit, rotation information acquisition unit, and derivation unit to specify the meshing part of the crawler at a predetermined position, utilizing sensors to detect anomalies and derive additional information such as travel distance and number of circulations, regardless of crawler communicability with the vehicle system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a transponder identification system is used to acquire crawler information, then information can be obtained about communicable crawlers, but the system cannot function with non-communicable crawlers and crawler selection freedom is greatly restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The crawler is divided into discrete meshing parts that can be individually identified and tracked. By segmenting the crawler into countable units (meshing parts) and tracking their positions, the system can acquire information about any crawler regardless of whether it has communication capabilities built-in.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary approach by using external sensors and calculation units to detect and track meshing part positions, rather than relying on the crawler's own communication system. This intermediary measurement system enables information acquisition from both communicable and non-communicable crawlers.
2Reliability
If traditional crawler monitoring systems are used, then information can be obtained from communicable crawlers, but maintenance response time is delayed when failures occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the positions of meshing parts and provides real-time feedback about crawler status. By tracking the rotational position and movement of individual meshing parts, the system can detect anomalies and trigger maintenance alerts promptly, reducing response time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes baseline information about meshing part positions before failure occurs and continuously compares current positions against this baseline. This preliminary setup enables early detection of deviations that indicate developing problems, allowing maintenance to be performed before complete failure.
3Loss of information
If complex transponder systems are embedded in crawlers, then communication capability is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of embedding communication devices in the crawler and having the crawler transmit information, the system inverts the approach by placing sensors on the vehicle and using them to detect and track external features of the crawler (the meshing parts). This eliminates the need for complex embedded communication systems in the crawler itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The crawler's own physical structure (its meshing parts that naturally engage with the sprocket) is utilized as the identification and tracking mechanism, rather than requiring additional communication equipment. The crawler's functional components serve dual purposes: both their mechanical function and their role as identifiable markers for the monitoring system.
Data Source
AI summary
An information acquisition apparatus for acquiring information relating to a crawler configured to be wound around a rotationally driven sprocket connected to a rotation axle provided in a vehicle, the crawler having a meshing part configured to mesh with a tooth or a tooth base of the sprocket and being circulatorily driven in conjunction with rotation of the sprocket is provided. The information acquisition apparatus includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores, as initial information, the number of meshing parts of the crawler and information specifying the meshing part that is at a predetermined position, prior to the vehicle traveling. The processor acquires rotation information of the sprocket. The processor, while the vehicle is traveling, information specifying the meshing part that is at the predetermined position, based on the initial information and the rotation information.