Deployable Driver Station for Autonomous Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions for providing a deployable driver station in autonomous driving vehicles are bulky, complex, and intrude on passenger space, failing to address the need for a functional driver seat and steering wheel in emergency situations while maintaining passenger comfort and safety standards.
Innovation Solution
A deployable driver station with a front-facing driver seat bottom and a coupled rear-facing passenger seat bottom, along with a two-sided pivoting seat back and a stowable steering wheel, which can be translated and retracted into the instrument panel to minimize space usage, and equipped with independent safety systems, allowing manual, electromechanical, or electronic actuation between configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a specialized swiveling or rotating driver seat is used to provide both driver and passenger configurations, then the driver station becomes functional in both modes, but the seat becomes bulky, complex, and costly while consuming significant passenger space
Solution Approach 1:
The driver station is segmented into separate functional components: the driver seat bottom, steering wheel, and pedals are independent elements that can be individually deployed or stowed, rather than requiring a complex swiveling mechanism for the entire seat assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be simplified and controlled independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The driver station components are designed to be dynamically deployable rather than permanently fixed or requiring complex rotation mechanisms. The driver seat bottom, steering wheel, and pedals can be translated into or out of the instrument panel as needed, providing adaptability through dynamic positioning rather than mechanical transformation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional steering wheel protruding from the instrument panel is used, then the driver station is functional, but it intrudes into the passenger compartment and reduces passenger space
Solution Approach 1:
The steering wheel is designed to nest within the instrument panel when not in use, similar to a nested doll structure. The steering wheel can be retracted into the instrument panel cavity, allowing the passenger compartment to maintain full space availability during autonomous operation while providing steering functionality when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The steering wheel is designed with dynamic positioning capability, allowing it to be translated between a retracted position within the instrument panel and an extended position for driver operation. This dynamic adjustment eliminates the need for a permanently protruding steering wheel that would continuously occupy passenger space.
3Area of stationary object
If the driver seat bottom is disposed under or within the instrument panel to save space, then passenger compartment space is maximized, but the driver station must be readily available for emergency use
Solution Approach 1:
The driver station components are pre-positioned within the instrument panel in a compact, organized manner that allows for rapid deployment. The steering wheel, driver seat bottom, and pedals are preliminarily arranged in their stowed positions with ready access mechanisms, enabling quick translation to the operational position during emergency situations without requiring complex assembly or search.
Solution Approach 2:
The driver station components are designed with rapid translation capability, allowing them to be quickly moved from the space-saving position under the instrument panel to the operational position. The dynamic mechanism enables fast deployment while maintaining the components in a compact, space-efficient configuration during normal autonomous operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A deployable driver station including a seat utilizing both a front-facing driver seat bottom and a coupled rear-facing passenger seat bottom. In a driver configuration, the driver seat bottom is used in a conventional manner, being disposed behind the steering wheel or other steering control and the interior panel, while the passenger seat bottom is disposed more centrally within the passenger compartment. In a passenger configuration, the passenger seat bottom is used like the adjacent rear-facing passenger seat bottom(s), when used, while the driver seat bottom is disposed under the interior panel such that it does not take up space in the passenger compartment. Likewise, the steering wheel or other steering control is disposed under the interior panel. A common two-sided pivoting seat back is alternately used for the driver seat or the passenger seat by pivoting to an appropriate angle for the configuration.