High Integrity Coordination System for Off-Road Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for navigating and coordinating multiple off-road vehicles face challenges due to complexity, cost, and uncertainty in various operating environments, particularly in unmanned or semi-automated setups, where accuracy and reliability are compromised by errors in location sensing and obstacle detection.
Innovation Solution
A high integrity coordination system is implemented, comprising a machine controller, steering, propulsion, braking, sensor, communication, and behavior library components, which assigns roles to vehicles and coordinates their actions using redundant systems for fault tolerance and fail-operational functionality, ensuring accurate navigation and task execution across diverse environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant systems are implemented for fault tolerance, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coordination system is divided into multiple independent functional modules including behavior libraries, role assignment mechanisms, and coordination controllers. Each module operates independently but contributes to the overall redundant architecture, allowing fault isolation while maintaining system reliability through modular redundancy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements preemptive redundancy by incorporating backup sensors, actuators, and communication links before failures occur. The high-integrity coordination system continuously monitors system health and has pre-configured fallback mechanisms that activate automatically upon detecting failures, cushioning against potential reliability issues.
2Reliability
If high integrity coordination systems with redundant components are used, then reliability is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coordination system employs multi-functional components that can serve multiple purposes. For example, the behavior library contains generic coordination patterns that can be applied across different vehicle types and task scenarios, reducing the need for specialized expensive components while maintaining high integrity coordination across diverse applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts operational parameters based on environmental conditions and task requirements rather than relying solely on hardware redundancy. By changing coordination algorithms, communication frequencies, and sensor thresholds adaptively, the system achieves high reliability through software intelligence rather than purely through expensive redundant hardware.
3Measurement precision
If role assignment and behavior coordination are implemented, then navigation accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-defines behavior libraries containing coordinated navigation patterns and role-specific protocols before vehicles engage in tasks. These pre-programmed behaviors include standardized coordination algorithms for formation flying, obstacle avoidance, and task allocation, which reduce real-time computational complexity while maintaining high navigation accuracy through proven coordinated patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The coordination system uses virtual models and digital twins of vehicle behaviors and environmental conditions to simulate and optimize navigation strategies before actual execution. By copying and testing coordination algorithms in virtual environments, the system achieves high navigation accuracy while keeping the actual physical coordination hardware relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
The illustrative embodiments provide a method and apparatus for controlling and coordinating multiple vehicles. In one illustrative embodiment, machine behaviors are assigned to multiple vehicles performing a task. The vehicles are coordinated to perform the task using the assigned behaviors and a number of signals received from other vehicles and the environment during performance of the task. In another illustrative embodiment, a role is identified for each vehicle in a group of vehicles. A number of machine behaviors are assigned to each vehicle depending upon the identified role for the vehicle. The machine behaviors are selected from coordinating machine behaviors stored in a behavior library. Each vehicle is then coordinated to perform the task according to the role and machine behaviors assigned.