Machine Safety Zone Prediction Using Virtual Copy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of machines with movable implements face challenges in accurately positioning the implement due to limited visibility, requiring additional assistance or experience to control the machine's ground propulsion and implement movement, especially for parts not directly visible.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a processor that receives inputs on the implement's type, position, and user controls to calculate a future trajectory of a safety zone, using a data library to determine guidance for positioning the implement, thereby enhancing safety and accuracy by providing predictive information on the implement's position and trajectory.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a user relies on direct visual observation to control the implement, then the control is simple and direct, but the positioning accuracy deteriorates for parts not directly visible
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the implement and its safety zone in a graphical user interface (GUI). This virtual representation allows the user to observe the implement position, trajectory, and safety zone boundaries from any angle and at any time, effectively solving the visibility problem without adding physical observation devices. The GUI copy provides complete information about the implement state and future position.
Solution Approach 2:
The system calculates and displays the future trajectory of the implement and the future position of the safety zone boundaries before the implement actually reaches those positions. By showing where the implement will be based on current motion and control inputs, the user can make informed decisions about control adjustments in advance, improving positioning accuracy proactively rather than reactively.
2Loss of information
If a user has limited visibility of the implement, then the control mechanism remains simple, but the information availability deteriorates for accurate positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions the information presentation from the physical three-dimensional space (where visibility is limited by line of sight) to a two-dimensional graphical user interface space. In this digital representation space, the entire implement, safety zone, and trajectory are visible simultaneously from a top-down or isometric perspective, eliminating the visibility constraints of the physical workspace and providing complete information about system state.
Solution Approach 2:
The graphical user interface acts as an intermediary between the physical implement and the user. Instead of directly observing the implement through limited visual fields, the user interacts with the virtual representation in the GUI, which mediates the information flow and presents all relevant data (position, trajectory, safety zone boundaries) in a comprehensible and complete manner.
3Reliability
If the safety zone boundaries are not clearly defined, then the system remains simple, but the safety deteriorates for persons in the vicinity
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses color-coded visual indicators in the GUI to represent different aspects of the safety zone. The safety zone boundaries are displayed with distinct colors or visual styles that make them immediately recognizable to the user. This visual encoding helps users quickly understand the extent of the safety zone and make safe operational decisions without requiring complex numerical data or interpretation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for improving safety in use of a machine of a kind comprising a body and an implement movable relative to the body is disclosed. The system may use sensed data to define a safety zone around an implement to assist a user in avoiding an object of interest. The system may provide functionality to change control of the machine or implement in the event that an object of interest is detected.