Driver Position-Based Vehicle Control for Single-Track Balance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for unlocking or locking motor vehicles based on the user's position are inadequate in ensuring driving safety and comfort, particularly for vehicles like motorcycles and snowmobiles, as they do not effectively adjust controls in response to deviations from expected driving positions, which can lead to loss of balance.
Innovation Solution
A system that determines the deviation of the driver's current driving position from an expected reference position and adjusts the motor vehicle's controls, such as drive torque, braking torque, and assistance systems, to maintain balance and safety by using user devices like smartwatches or smartphones to detect the driver's position and communicate with on-board communication means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the motor vehicle controls are adjusted based on user position detection, then driving safety and comfort are improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and communication modules
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a user device (smartphone or smartwatch) that serves multiple functions: it acts as both the user interface and the positioning sensor. The device's existing sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, GPS) are leveraged for driving position detection, eliminating the need for dedicated sensors in the motor vehicle and reducing overall system complexity while improving safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The evaluation device on the motor vehicle acts as an intermediary that receives data from the user device via communication means (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or direct connection). This mediator processes the position information and translates it into control adjustments, separating the sensing function from the control function and allowing each component to be optimized independently.
2Productivity
If the drive torque is increased to improve productivity, then the driving speed increases, but the driver may lose balance when deviating from reference position
Solution Approach 1:
The drive torque is made dynamic rather than fixed. The control device continuously adjusts the drive torque based on real-time deviation data from the user device. When the driver maintains the reference position, full torque is available for high speed. When deviation is detected, torque is automatically reduced to prevent balance loss, creating a dynamic adaptation to driver posture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a closed-loop feedback mechanism where the user device continuously monitors driver position, communicates deviation information to the evaluation device, which then adjusts drive torque accordingly. This feedback loop ensures that productivity gains from increased torque do not compromise driver balance, as the system automatically responds to positional changes.
3Speed
If the braking torque is increased to reduce stopping distance, then the stopping performance improves, but the driver may lose balance when deviating from reference position
Solution Approach 1:
The braking torque is made dynamic and adaptive rather than fixed. The control device adjusts braking torque in real-time based on driver position feedback from the user device. When the driver is in the reference position, maximum braking torque can be applied for short stopping distances. When deviation is detected, braking torque is reduced to maintain driver balance, preventing the contradiction between stopping performance and balance.
Solution Approach 2:
A feedback mechanism continuously monitors driver position via the user device and communicates this to the evaluation device, which adjusts braking torque accordingly. This ensures that stopping performance is optimized only when the driver is in the correct position, while automatically preventing balance loss when deviation occurs, resolving the contradiction between stopping distance and driver stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enhances driving safety and comfort by precisely adjusting motor vehicle controls based on detected deviations, preventing balance loss and providing feedback on cornering techniques, thereby improving the overall driving experience, especially for single-track vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
The current position of such user devices is technically easy to detect, for example, by means of an on-board communication means assembly. The current position of the user device is then determined, for example, as a function of a time difference between transmission of a signal by the user device and reception of the transmitted signal by the communication means of the communication means assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for operating a motor vehicle. A deviation of a current driving position of a driver of the motor vehicle from an expected reference driving position of the driver is determined, and the motor vehicle is controlled depending on the determined deviation.