Forklift V2V Trajectory Prediction for Blind-Area Collision Alerts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional warehouse environments rely primarily on visual observation for maintaining awareness of nearby material handling vehicles and their trajectories, which can lead to safety issues due to the lack of direct line of sight and reliance on manual prediction of vehicle paths.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system that allows material handling vehicles to share their current position, speed, and trajectory data via wireless communication, enabling the calculation and comparison of predicted vehicle paths to detect potential overlaps and provide operators with notifications or control interventions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If visual observation is used for maintaining awareness of nearby material handling vehicles, then operator awareness of immediate surroundings is maintained, but safety issues arise due to lack of direct line of sight and reliance on manual prediction of vehicle paths

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidvehicle trajectory information

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

A wireless communication system acts as an intermediary between material handling vehicles and operators. The system transmits vehicle condition data (position, speed, trajectory) from other vehicles to the operator's vehicle, enabling awareness of vehicles outside direct visual range without requiring operators to visually monitor all surroundings

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously receiving vehicle condition data from other vehicles and providing this information to the operator. The control unit processes this feedback data to calculate predicted vehicle positions and provides notifications when potential conflicts are detected, creating a closed-loop information system that enhances situational awareness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If manual prediction of vehicle paths is used, then operators can anticipate vehicle movements, but safety issues arise due to inaccuracies in human prediction and reaction time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrajectory prediction accuracyVSAvoidreaction time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces manual human prediction with automated electronic calculation. The control unit receives real-time vehicle condition data and automatically calculates predicted vehicle positions based on position, speed, and trajectory information, eliminating the need for operators to manually predict vehicle paths and reducing reliance on human reaction time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary action by calculating predicted vehicle positions in advance and providing notifications before actual conflicts occur. The control unit continuously computes where vehicles will be based on current motion data, allowing operators to take preventive action before trajectories actually intersect, rather than reacting after a conflict is visually detected

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If wireless transceivers and sensors are installed in material handling vehicles, then vehicle-to-vehicle communication and predicted path calculation are enabled, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision preventionVSAvoidcommunication system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The wireless transceiver and control unit serve multiple functions: they transmit and receive vehicle condition data, calculate predicted vehicle positions, detect potential trajectory conflicts, and provide notifications to operators. By consolidating these functions into integrated components, the system achieves comprehensive collision prevention capabilities without proportionally increasing complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Each material handling vehicle independently performs calculations of its own and other vehicles' predicted positions using received data. The control unit autonomously processes vehicle condition data and generates notifications without requiring external processing systems, allowing vehicles to self-monitor for conflicts and reducing the need for centralized complex infrastructure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20250091845A1Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication for Trajectory Awareness of a Material Handling Vehicle

Publication Date: 2025.03.20 RAYMOND LTD

AI summary

Systems and methods provide assistance to an operator of a material handling vehicle. Provided systems and methods include receiving vehicle condition data at a first material handling vehicle from a second material handling vehicle when the second material handling vehicle is within a predetermined communication range, determining a first predicted vehicle position for the first material handling vehicle based on current vehicle conditions, determining a second predicted vehicle position for the second material handling vehicle based on the received vehicle condition data, and determining if the first predicted vehicle position for the first material handling vehicle overlaps with the second predicted vehicle position for the second material handling vehicle. Upon the determination that the first predicted vehicle position overlaps with the second predicted vehicle position, the operator of the first material handling vehicle is provided an indication.