Foldable Vehicle Pedal Assembly for Autonomous Driving Rest
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Solution Overview
Problem
In autonomous driving situations, vehicle pedals are exposed, leading to uncomfortable resting conditions for drivers and potential erroneous operation, which can cause accidents due to the driver's inability to avoid unintentionally interacting with the pedals.
Innovation Solution
A foldable pedal device with a pedal housing, a rotatable pedal pad, a spring module, and a moving stopper actuated by an electric motor, allowing the pedal pad to pop up for manual driving and hide during autonomous driving to prevent accidental operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pedal pad is exposed in autonomous driving mode, then the driver can operate the pedals if needed, but the driver cannot rest comfortably and may erroneously operate the pedals
Solution Approach 1:
The pedal pad is designed to be dynamically changeable between exposed and retracted states. The actuator moves the pedal pad between these states based on driving mode, allowing the system to adapt to different operational requirements while maintaining both safety and accessibility when needed
2Ease of operation
If the pedal pad is retracted during autonomous driving, then the driver can rest comfortably and erroneous operation is prevented, but the driver cannot operate the pedals when transitioning to manual driving
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by exposing the pedal pad in advance before the driver needs to operate it. When the driving mode transitions to manual or when the driver presses the clutch pedal, the pedal pad is automatically exposed, ensuring it is ready for operation before the driver actually needs it
3Adaptability or versatility
If a foldable pedal mechanism is added, then the pedal can be hidden during autonomous driving, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pedal assembly is segmented into separable components: the pedal pad, the pedal arm, and the housing. This segmentation allows the pedal pad to be independently moved between exposed and retracted states by the actuator, enabling the folding function while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure
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
Enables comfortable driver rest during autonomous driving while preventing erroneous pedal operation, enhancing safety by ensuring the pedal is only accessible in manual driving modes.
Implementation Method 1
a spring module engaged to the pedal pad and configured to provide an elastic force to the pedal pad so that the pedal pad protrudes from the pedal housing
Implementation Method 2
a moving stopper coupled to an actuator and configured to be linearly moved by power of the actuator fixed to the pedal housing
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable pedal device for a vehicle is configured to cause a pedal pad to protrude toward a driver to be exposed in a pop-up state so that the driver can operate the same in a manual driving mode in which the driver directly drives the vehicle, and to cause the pedal pad to be hidden in a hidden state so that the pedal pad is not exposed to the driver and the drive cannot operate the same in an autonomous driving situation.