Forklift Pupil Display for Operator Detection Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial trucks with environmental sensors lack feedback to operators regarding their detection, leading to unpredictable behavior and reduced confidence in autonomous systems, necessitating longer training periods.
Innovation Solution
An industrial truck equipped with a pupil display that indicates the direction towards the recognized operator, providing intuitive feedback through a curved surface with a marking area that simulates eye movement, enhancing operator trust and predictability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If autonomous driving behavior is implemented without feedback display, then automation level increases, but operator confidence decreases and training time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a pupil display that provides visual feedback to operators about the autonomous truck's detection status and attention direction. The pupil display mirrors the operator's position relative to the truck, creating an intuitive visual representation of what the autonomous system 'sees' and 'focuses on'. This feedback mechanism builds operator confidence by making the autonomous system's perception transparent and predictable.
2Reliability
If environmental sensors detect operator position, then safety improves, but operator awareness of detection status deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pupil display provides continuous visual feedback to operators about their detection status by showing their relative position to the truck. When an operator is detected, their position is displayed in the pupil indicator, confirming to them that the system is aware of their presence. This eliminates the information gap between sensor detection and operator awareness.
3Productivity
If autonomous tracking is implemented, then productivity increases, but predictability of vehicle behavior decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The pupil display makes the autonomous truck's tracking behavior predictable by visually indicating which operator is being tracked and from which direction. The display updates in real-time as operators move, allowing them to anticipate the truck's response based on their position relative to the truck, thus making the autonomous behavior predictable despite increased productivity.
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 pupil display enhances operator trust and reduces training time by providing clear feedback on the truck's detection and autonomous driving status, improving human-machine cooperation and vehicle predictability.
Implementation Method 1
a marking surface is optically highlighted so that a connecting line between the vertical axis and the center of the marking surface points as an apparent viewing axis in the direction of the recognized operator
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
AI summary
In a forklift truck with at least one environmental sensor for detecting the relative position of an operator (9) in the vicinity of the forklift truck (1), at least one pupil indicator (2) attached to the forklift truck (1) indicates a direction towards the detected operator (9), wherein the pupil indicator (2) consists of a surface (12) curved about a vertical axis, preferably a cylindrical surface (12), on which a marking surface (13) is optically highlighted, such that a connecting line between the vertical axis and the center of the marking surface (13) points as an apparent line of sight (8) in the direction of the detected operator (9).