Haptic Steering Feedback for Trailer Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicles with towable implements lack effective haptic feedback systems to prevent collisions during maneuvering, relying on acoustic or optical indicators that may not be intuitive for operators.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system with an operator control providing haptic feedback, utilizing sensors to determine hitching and steering angles, and a control unit to anticipate potential collisions by adjusting the force resistance based on sensor data to prevent collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If acoustic or optical indicators are used to warn the driver, then collision warning capability is provided, but the intuitiveness and operator awareness may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The warning system is segmented into multiple independent feedback channels: acoustic indicators, optical indicators, and haptic feedback through the steering wheel. Each channel operates independently to provide different types of warnings, allowing the operator to perceive collision risks through multiple sensory modalities, thereby improving overall awareness and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The haptic feedback mechanism applies a counter-force to the operator's steering input when a potential collision is detected. This counter-weighting approach directly opposes the operator's action that would lead to collision, providing an intuitive physical resistance that warns the operator without requiring additional visual or auditory attention.
2Reliability
If haptic feedback force is increased to prevent collision, then collision avoidance capability is improved, but the operator control responsiveness may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The haptic feedback force is dynamically adjusted based on the detected collision risk level and operator input characteristics. The system continuously monitors the steering angle, its rate of change, and the proximity to obstacles, then modulates the counter-force in real-time. This dynamic adjustment ensures that the haptic feedback is strong enough to prevent collision while remaining responsive to legitimate operator maneuvers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a closed-loop feedback mechanism where the operator's steering input is continuously monitored, and the haptic feedback force is adjusted based on the detected collision risk. The feedback loop processes sensor data about obstacle proximity and steering dynamics, then applies appropriate counter-force to guide the operator away from collision while maintaining natural steering responsiveness for safe maneuvers.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5B
AI summary
A vehicle (8) has an operator control (10) configured to provide a force (F) as haptic feedback, a coupling (4) configured for hitching a towable implement (5), a sensor arrangement (14) configured to determine at least one sensor value and a control unit (9) configured to anticipate a potential collision between the vehicle (8) and the towable implement (5) based on the at least one sensor value and to increase the force (F) if a potential collision is anticipated.