Haul Truck Position Control via Visual Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current signaling techniques for controlling haul truck position during milling operations are manual and subjective, leading to potential material spillage and inefficient filling processes, as they require constant monitoring and can result in jerky movements or misinterpretation of distance and speed cues.
Innovation Solution
A control system that includes sensors to measure the speed and distance between a mobile machine and a receptacle, a display system to show this information to the operator, and a controller to determine the relative speed and generate visual indicators, allowing for precise control of the receptacle's speed relative to the mobile machine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual signaling techniques are used for haul truck position control, then the cold planer operator can communicate distance information to the haul truck operator, but the operator becomes distracted from other important aspects of operating the cold planer and the signals can be difficult to interpret
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the haul truck operator to independently control the relative positioning and material distribution by viewing real-time visual feedback of material location in the truck bed, eliminating the need for the cold planer operator to continuously monitor and signal distance information
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time visual feedback to the haul truck operator showing the actual location and distribution of material in the truck bed, allowing the operator to make informed decisions about positioning and filling without relying on manual signals from the cold planer operator
2Productivity
If the haul truck operator reacts quickly to command signals, then the filling process may be faster, but the movements become jerky and material spillage can occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides continuous visual feedback of material location and truck positioning, allowing the operator to make smooth, controlled adjustments rather than reacting abruptly to discrete command signals, thereby maintaining both speed and precision
3Reliability
If the cold planer operator manually monitors distance and sends positioning signals, then the haul truck operator receives guidance on positioning, but the signals can be misinterpreted resulting in miscalculated control and material spillage
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual acoustic signaling (horn blasts) with a visual display system that directly shows material location and truck position, eliminating ambiguity in signal interpretation and providing precise positioning information
Solution Approach 2:
The visual feedback system provides unambiguous, real-time information about material location and truck positioning, eliminating misinterpretation of manual signals and enabling accurate control without information loss
Data Source
AI summary
A control system (40) is disclosed for a mobile machine (10) configured to transfer material into a receptacle (18). The control system may include a first sensor (44) configured to generate a first signal indicative of one of a speed of the mobile machine and a distance between the mobile machine and the receptacle, a display system (56) having at least one display device (58) configured to show information relating to one or more of the mobile machine and the receptacle to an operator of the receptacle, and a controller electronically connected to the first sensor and the display system. The controller may be configured to determine a relative speed of the receptacle with respect to the mobile machine based at least in part on the first signal and generate on the at least one display device a first visual indicator (68) indicative of the relative speed of the receptacle with respect to the mobile machine.