Dynamic Pedestrian Barrier Arms for Adaptive Queue Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pedestrian barrier systems in crowded areas lack flexibility in adapting to varying numbers of people, often resulting in insufficient or excessive queue path lengths, which can lead to inefficiencies and safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic pedestrian barrier system comprising a vertical barrier post with motorized, individually controllable arms that can extend, retract, pivot, and change direction, allowing for flexible configuration of queue paths based on real-time conditions, managed by a control interface and potentially supported by cameras for optimal path adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If static barrier arrangements are used based on usual number of people, then the queue path structure is simple and easy to implement, but the system lacks flexibility to adapt to varying crowd conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by transforming static barrier arms into motorized, movable components that can dynamically adjust their positions. Each barrier arm is equipped with a motor drive mechanism allowing it to move between extended and retracted positions, enabling the system to adapt to varying crowd conditions in real-time rather than being fixed in a predetermined configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the barrier system into multiple independently controllable barrier arms, each capable of individual movement and positioning. This segmentation allows different portions of the queue path to be adjusted independently based on local crowd conditions, providing fine-grained adaptability while maintaining overall system coherence through centralized or distributed control
2Quantity of substance
If queue path length is extended to handle more people, then the system can accommodate larger crowds, but the added effort and time for pedestrians increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts queue path length by extending or retracting barrier arms based on real-time crowd detection. When crowd density is low, the queue path is shortened to reduce pedestrian transit time. When crowd density increases, the system extends the queue path capacity to accommodate more people, optimizing the balance between capacity and efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates crowd detection mechanisms that provide feedback on the number and density of people in the queueing area. This feedback is used by the control system to automatically adjust the configuration of barrier arms, creating a closed-loop system that optimizes queue path length based on actual crowd conditions rather than fixed predetermined settings
3Loss of time
If queue path length is shortened to reduce pedestrian effort, then transit time decreases, but the system may become insufficient for larger crowds
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier system dynamically reconfigures to extend the queue path when crowd detection indicates high density, increasing capacity without permanently increasing the physical infrastructure. When crowds are small, the system retracts to a compact configuration that minimizes pedestrian transit time and effort, providing optimal performance for different operational scenarios
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple barrier arms are added to increase flexibility, then the system can better adapt to different queue configurations, but the device complexity and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each barrier arm is designed as a universal, multi-functional component that can serve multiple purposes: blocking pathways, defining queue boundaries, and being individually positioned to create various queue configurations. This universality allows the system to achieve high adaptability with a moderate number of standardized components rather than requiring specialized elements for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes each barrier arm dynamically controllable through individual motor drives, allowing any arm to be independently positioned to create different queue path geometries. This dynamic controllability provides high configurational flexibility without requiring a large number of permanently fixed barriers, as the same components can be repositioned to accommodate different crowd patterns and queue requirements
Data Source
AI summary
A queue management system comprises a plurality of dynamic pedestrian barriers, each comprising a plurality of movable barrier arms carried by a barrier post, the plurality of dynamic pedestrian barriers being arranged in a two-dimensional grid pattern over a queuing area; and a controller configured to control the movable barrier arms of the dynamic pedestrian barriers to be reconfigurable between at least a first configuration, in which the plurality of dynamic pedestrian barriers define a first queue path between a queue entry and a queue exit, and a second configuration, in which the plurality of dynamic pedestrian barriers define a second queue path between the queue entry and the queue exit, the second queue path having a different path length.