Asphalt Finisher Detection Unit for Worker Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing asphalt finishers lack the ability to detect individuals in the periphery of the vehicle body, which can lead to accidents when workers are present in the application range of the paving material.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a detection unit that uses cameras and machine learning to detect individuals in the periphery of the asphalt finisher, allowing for real-time monitoring and control of the vehicle's operations to prevent accidents.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a detection unit is added to detect persons in the periphery of the vehicle body, then safety monitoring capability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety monitoring capabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The detection unit is designed to perform multiple functions: detecting persons in the periphery, determining their states (working or non-working), and providing information for safety monitoring. This multi-functionality approach allows a single detection unit to handle various safety monitoring tasks, improving reliability while controlling device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The detection unit acts as an intermediary between the environment (person detection) and the control system. It captures images, processes them to detect persons and determine their states, and provides output information to the control system, which then makes safety decisions. This intermediary approach separates the complex detection and processing tasks from the control decisions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If real-time detection and monitoring is implemented, then accident prevention capability is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccident prevention capabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The detection unit operates by capturing images at periodic intervals rather than continuous real-time monitoring. The control system determines persons' states based on these periodic images and outputs information when changes are detected. This periodic operation reduces energy consumption while maintaining effective safety monitoring and accident prevention capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP4556629A1Asphalt finisher
Publication Date: 2025.05.21 SUMITOMO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY
  • EP4556629A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4556629A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4556629A1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

There is provided an asphalt finisher (100) that allows an operator to easily know a situation of an application range of a paving material. An asphalt finisher (100) includes a tractor (1), a hopper (2) that is installed on a front side of the tractor (1), a conveyor (CV) that transports the paving material in the hopper (2) to a rear side of the tractor (1), a screw (SC) that spreads the paving material, which is transported by the conveyor (CV) and is sprinkled on a road surface, in a vehicle width direction, a screed (3) that levels the paving material spread by the screw (SC) on a rear side of the screw (SC), and a detection unit that detects an application range of the paving material, in which the asphalt finisher (100) is configured to perform a process of outputting information regarding a state of a person detected by the detection unit.