Mobile Work Machine State Visualization for Unmanned Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Human bystanders, including operators and other workers on a worksite, are often unaware of the current state or future states of mobile work machines, leading to unsafe conditions and inefficiencies in executing mission plans, especially in unmanned or autonomous operations.
Innovation Solution
A mobile work machine system that includes an operator compartment with a visual indicator mechanism to communicate machine states to operators and bystanders, using a multi-color lighting assembly that is positioned to be highly visible and protected from environmental conditions, and a control system that detects and visualizes machine states through sensors and actuators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the mobile work machine operates in unmanned or autonomous mode, then productivity is improved, but loss of information about machine state to bystanders worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a multi-color lighting assembly that changes colors to indicate different machine states. The lighting assembly includes red, yellow, and green LEDs that can be individually controlled to communicate specific operational states such as warning, caution, and safe conditions to bystanders, thereby maintaining awareness during autonomous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a visual indicator mechanism as an intermediary communication channel between the machine's control system and bystanders. This mechanism translates internal machine state data into external visual signals that humans can perceive, bridging the information gap created by unmanned operation.
2Loss of information
If a visual indicator mechanism is added to communicate machine states, then loss of information to bystanders is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting assembly serves multiple functions: it indicates machine states to bystanders, provides operational feedback to the control system, and can be integrated with existing safety systems. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate communication systems, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates the visual indicator mechanism with the existing operator compartment and control system architecture. The lighting assembly is positioned within or near the operator compartment, sharing space and control infrastructure with existing systems, which minimizes the addition of separate complex subsystems.
3Loss of information
If the visual indicator is positioned for high visibility, then loss of information to bystanders is reduced, but the indicator becomes more exposed to environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the lighting assembly in a specific location within the operator compartment that balances visibility and protection. The indicators are placed near the operator's line of sight and externally visible to bystanders, while remaining within the protected environment of the compartment structure, thus achieving local optimization of both visibility and environmental shielding.
Solution Approach 2:
The operator compartment structure itself serves as a protective enclosure that shields the lighting assembly from harsh environmental conditions such as dust, moisture, and extreme temperatures. This pre-existing protective structure cushions the visual indicators from environmental harm while maintaining their visibility function.
Data Source
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AI summary
A mobile work machine includes an operator compartment having an operator interface mechanism configured to receive operator input, a control system configured to generate a control signal to control the mobile work machine in an unmanned operation mode, a machine state detection system configured to detect a machine state of the mobile work machine in the unmanned operation mode, and a visualization system configured to control a visual indicator mechanism in the operator compartment to generate a visual indication of the detected machine state.