Forklift Travel Speed Control for Steering-Angle Blind Spots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Material handling vehicles face challenges in controlling travel speed and avoiding collisions due to limitations in existing object detection systems, which struggle to detect objects outside their field of view, especially during changes in steering angle.
Innovation Solution
A travel control system that integrates with the object detection system of a material handling vehicle, using a processor connected to steer angle and speed sensors to determine speed limits based on intrinsic vehicle properties and scanner configurations, generating signals to adjust vehicle speed to prevent collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the material handling vehicle travels at high speed, then productivity is improved, but the risk of collision increases when steering angle changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the speed limit based on the current steering angle and scanner field of view configuration. When the steering angle exceeds a threshold, the system automatically reduces the speed limit to ensure the vehicle can stop within the detectable range, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining high productivity and reducing collision risk during steering maneuvers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the steering angle via sensors and compares it against threshold values. Based on this feedback, the processor dynamically recalculates and enforces appropriate speed limits, creating a closed-loop control system that adapts vehicle speed to current operational conditions, thereby preventing collisions while maintaining efficiency.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the scanner field of view is widened to detect more objects, then collision detection capability is improved, but the stopping distance requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the speed limit based on the scanner's field of view configuration and current steering angle. By calculating the intersection between the scanner field of view and the vehicle's path, the system determines an appropriate speed limit that ensures the vehicle can stop within the detectable range, thus resolving the contradiction between detection capability and stopping distance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the speed parameter dynamically based on scanner configuration and steering angle. By adjusting the speed limit to match the scanner's detection capabilities and the vehicle's geometric constraints, the system ensures that the stopping distance remains within the detectable range while maximizing detection capability.
3Ease of operation
If the vehicle operates manually with operator control, then ease of operation is improved, but training requirements and safety supervision increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides self-service safety functions by automatically monitoring steering angle, calculating appropriate speed limits, and enforcing speed restrictions without requiring operator intervention. This automated safety mechanism reduces the burden on operators and reduces the need for extensive training while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The travel control system acts as an intermediary between the operator and the vehicle's motion. It automatically enforces safety constraints based on scanner field of view and steering angle, reducing the operator's cognitive load and the need for intensive training while preserving manual control and ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods provide a travel control system to augment a supplemental object detection system of a material handling vehicle. Speed limits can be calculated for material handling vehicles based on properties of the vehicle, and a field of view of the object detection systems of the material handling vehicle. For given steer angles or ranges of steer angles, the speed of the material handling vehicle can be limited to ensure that the vehicle could stop before contact with a newly-detected object that was previously outside the field of view of the object detection system.