Docking Interface Visualization for Reliable Assisted Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional directional control systems for vehicles, including watercraft, lack reliability and accuracy in docking and navigation, especially in crowded conditions and with external disturbances like wind or water currents, due to non-intuitive sensor data and complex navigation control.
Innovation Solution
A docking assist system that includes a controller with sensors such as orientation, gyroscope, accelerometer, and position sensors, which execute control loops to model and control navigation, providing accurate and low-noise directional control by coordinating steering and propulsion systems to compensate for hazards and environmental disturbances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If conventional directional control systems use multiple sensors to provide automated control, then automation capability is improved, but the sensor data becomes non-intuitive and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary processing layer that transforms complex sensor data from multiple sensors (GPS, IMU, depth sounders, radar) into intuitive visual representations on display screens. This intermediary layer processes raw sensor inputs and presents them as comprehensible graphical interfaces, allowing operators to maintain reliable control without being overwhelmed by non-intuitive sensor data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements comprehensive feedback mechanisms where sensor data is continuously processed and displayed in real-time on multiple screens showing vessel position, orientation, speed, and environmental conditions. This feedback loop allows operators to see the immediate effects of control actions and adjust accordingly, maintaining reliability while using multiple sensors for automated control assistance.
2Measurement precision
If conventional systems display complex sensor parameters, then measurement capability is improved, but the data becomes non-intuitive and difficult to use
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple display screens serve as intermediaries between precise sensor measurements and the operator. The system processes detailed sensor data (GPS coordinates, IMU orientation, depth sounder measurements, radar returns) and presents them as intuitive graphical representations including vessel position markers, approach paths, depth contours, and obstacle displays, making precise measurement data easily interpretable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms one-dimensional sensor data into multi-dimensional visual representations. Scalar measurements like speed and position are displayed as vectors and trajectories on graphical interfaces. Three-dimensional spatial relationships are represented through multiple view angles and depth indicators, allowing operators to comprehend complex spatial data intuitively.
3Measurement precision
If the system compensates for external disturbances like wind and currents, then navigation accuracy is improved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors environmental conditions through sensors (wind sensors, current sensors, GPS drift detection) and implements feedback control to compensate for external disturbances. The system calculates disturbance forces and adjusts propulsion and steering commands in real-time to maintain accurate navigation, with the complexity managed through automated control algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service compensation for environmental disturbances through automated control algorithms that independently calculate and apply correction forces. The control system autonomously adjusts propulsion thrust and steering angle to counteract wind and current effects without requiring manual intervention, maintaining navigation accuracy while managing complexity through automation.
4Ease of operation
If the system provides fully automated docking, then ease of operation is improved, but the ability to handle crowded conditions and external disturbances decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic control modes that adapt to environmental conditions and operator preferences. The docking system can operate in fully automated mode for simplicity or switch to assisted mode where the operator has enhanced control authority. The control algorithms dynamically adjust their intervention level based on situation complexity, maintaining reliability in crowded conditions while providing ease of operation through automated assistance.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple display screens provide comprehensive feedback about vessel state, environmental conditions, and approach progress to both the automated system and the operator. This information feedback enables the automated system to make reliable decisions in crowded conditions while keeping the operator informed and able to intervene if needed, balancing automation simplicity with operational reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide graphical user interfaces for assisted and/or autonomous navigation for mobile structures. A navigation assist system includes a user interface for a mobile structure comprising a display and a logic device configured to communicate with the user interface and render a docking user interface on the display. The logic device is configured to monitor control signals for a navigation control system for the mobile structure and render the docking user interface based, at least in part, on the monitored control signals. The docking user interface includes a maneuvering guide with a mobile structure perimeter indicator, an obstruction map, and a translational thrust indicator configured to indicate a translational maneuvering thrust magnitude and direction relative to an orientation of the mobile structure perimeter indicator.