Utility Vehicle Grip Control With Hand Position Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Utility vehicle operating units are prone to unintentional actuation due to uneven surfaces or user contact, leading to potential damage or injury, and require prolonged hand positioning that is ergonomically unfavorable, causing fatigue and loss of concentration.
Innovation Solution
An operating unit with a grip zone featuring a high-density arrangement of capacitive, inductive, optical, or resistive sensor units that identify different hand positions, providing variable control signal release and prompting users to change positions through optical, acoustic, or haptic signals, with adaptive signal patterns and tolerance settings to ensure accurate hand position detection and reduce inadvertent activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a high-density arrangement of sensor units is implemented to identify different hand positions, then measurement precision and control reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grip zone is segmented into multiple discrete sensor units arranged in a matrix pattern, allowing each sensor to independently detect contact at specific locations. This segmentation enables precise hand position identification while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular sensor elements.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the grip zone are assigned different sensor densities based on expected hand contact patterns. The sensor arrangement is non-uniform, with higher density in areas more likely to be contacted, optimizing detection precision where needed while reducing complexity in less critical areas.
2Ease of operation
If control signals are released based on variable hand positions, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential unintentional actuation
Solution Approach 1:
The system preemptively prevents unintentional actuation by requiring specific hand position patterns to be detected before control signals are released. Invalid contact patterns are rejected in advance, blocking unintended operations while allowing legitimate ones.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously monitors sensor unit signals and provides feedback on whether the detected hand position pattern is valid for control signal release. This feedback mechanism dynamically adjusts control availability based on real-time hand position analysis, ensuring both ease of operation and reliability.
3Reliability
If the hand must be kept in a given position constantly to confirm presence, then control reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to ergonomic discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static hand presence requirements to dynamic hand position recognition. Instead of requiring the hand to remain in a fixed position, the system recognizes multiple valid hand position patterns and allows control signal release when any valid pattern is detected, enabling natural hand movements while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor unit arrangement is designed to recognize multiple different hand positions and configurations as valid, making the system universally responsive to various natural gripping styles. This multi-functionality allows users to operate controls in ergonomically comfortable positions without compromising reliability.
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 solution effectively reduces the risk of unintentional actuation and enhances user ergonomics by allowing variable control signal release based on hand position, prompting position changes, and maintaining user effectiveness and concentration by adapting to individual hand positions and reducing fatigue.
Implementation Method 1
The sensors are in particular capacitive, heat-sensitive or designed with infrared
Implementation Method 2
The sensors are in particular capacitive, heat-sensitive or designed with infrared
Implementation Method 3
The sensors are in particular capacitive, heat-sensitive or designed with infrared
Data Source
AI summary
An operating unit for a utility vehicle is provided. The operating unit has a grip zone, at least one actuation unit and a control unit. The grip zone includes a plurality of contact-detecting sensor units. The control unit is designed to detect signals from the sensor units and to identify an intended operation on the basis of the signals. An arrangement of the sensor units is formed in such manner that various hand positions are identifiable by means of the control unit. The control unit is designed to release control signals generated by the operating unit and/or the at least one actuation unit depending on the position of the hand.