Haptic Control Station for Aerial Platforms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control stations for aerial platforms, such as lifting platforms, face challenges in effectively communicating with users due to ambient noise and visual distractions, leading to potential misunderstandings and safety risks, especially for novice operators.
Innovation Solution
A control station with a haptic interface that provides kinesthetic and vibrotactile feedback based on the state and position of the controlled device, allowing users to receive contextual and understandable messages through tactile sensations, reducing reliance on auditory and visual cues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If auditory signals (beeps) are used to signal the state of the aerial work platform, then information can be transmitted to the user, but the signals are difficult to distinguish from other noises on the construction site
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (portable control station with display and haptic feedback) that mediates between the aerial work platform and the user. This intermediary processes information from the platform and presents it through multiple channels (visual display, haptic feedback, auditory signals), overcoming the limitation of direct auditory signals being lost in ambient noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable control station implements feedback mechanisms where the user interacts with the device through touch inputs, and the system responds with haptic feedback and visual displays showing the current state of the aerial work platform. This closed-loop feedback ensures the user receives clear, unambiguous information about platform status.
2Loss of information
If visual indicator lights are used to show the state of the aerial work platform, then information can be transmitted to the user, but the lights are made difficult to read by the light environment and dirt
Solution Approach 1:
The portable control station serves as an intermediary that receives data from the aerial work platform and displays it on a screen with adjustable characteristics. The display can be positioned and oriented optimally, and its brightness and contrast can be adjusted to overcome environmental light conditions and dirt accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The display device on the portable control station allows parameter changes in terms of brightness, contrast, and positioning. These parameter adjustments enable the visual information to remain readable under various lighting conditions and when the control station itself becomes dirty during construction work.
3Ease of operation
If traditional control interfaces are used, then the control station can be simple in structure, but the communication with the user is not efficient and safe, especially for novice operators
Solution Approach 1:
The portable control station integrates multiple functions into a single device: it serves as a display unit, a haptic feedback device, an input interface, and a communication bridge between the user and the aerial work platform. This multi-functionality improves ease of operation while consolidating rather than increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional purely mechanical or simple electrical control interfaces with a more advanced system that incorporates haptic feedback technology and digital display. This substitution provides richer communication with the user through tactile sensations that convey system state and warnings, significantly improving safety and ease of operation for novice users.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a system comprising a control station and at least one controlled device, said control station including at least one control device (114) intended for controlling at least one action of the controlled device, said control device (114) comprising a haptic interface comprising at least one element for interacting with the user, and a controller (117) configured to send orders to the haptic interface to generate haptic stimulations in the element for interacting with the user on the basis at least of information relative to a state of the controlled device and/or the environment thereof.