Mobile Machine Visual Indication for Object-Aware Safety Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern mobile machinery, particularly autonomous and self-driving machines, lack effective systems for real-time visual indication of surrounding objects and machine states, which is crucial for enhancing safety and operational awareness.
Innovation Solution
A visual indication system that detects surrounding objects using sensors like LiDAR, classifies them, and generates object-directed indicators displaying safety and state information on a surrounding display, allowing for dynamic updates based on the machine's current state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If autonomous mobile machines are deployed to reduce crew size and increase efficiency, then productivity improves, but safety and operational awareness deteriorate due to lack of visual indication systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a visual feedback system where sensors detect surrounding objects and the control system generates visual indicators that are displayed to operators or nearby personnel. This feedback loop provides real-time information about the autonomous machine's environment and state, enabling safety monitoring without requiring a large human crew. The visual indicators include object detection status, machine state information, and safety alerts, resolving the contradiction by maintaining safety awareness while enabling autonomous operation for productivity gains
2Reliability
If sensors and detection systems are added to autonomous machines, then safety and object awareness improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a multi-functional control system that performs both autonomous machine operation and safety monitoring through integrated sensor processing. The same control system that manages autonomous functions also processes sensor data from cameras, LIDAR, and other detectors to generate visual indicators. This multi-functionality approach improves safety without proportionally increasing complexity, as the control system leverages existing computational resources for dual purposes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces visual indicators as an intermediary layer between the complex sensor system and the human operator. Rather than requiring operators to directly interpret raw sensor data or system logs, the control system translates complex multi-sensor information into simplified visual representations such as icons, colors, and graphical displays. This intermediary approach manages complexity by presenting only essential safety information in an easily interpretable format
3Reliability
If real-time object detection and visual indication systems are implemented, then operational awareness and safety improve, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic scanning and updating of visual indicators rather than continuous high-power operation. The control system periodically queries sensor data and updates visual displays at appropriate intervals based on machine state and environmental conditions. This periodic action maintains operational awareness while significantly reducing average energy consumption compared to continuous real-time processing and display refreshment
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances safety by providing real-time visual feedback to individuals around the machine, indicating safety levels and operational states, thereby improving interaction and reducing potential hazards.
Implementation Method 1
detecting one or more objects surrounding the mobile machine using one or more sensors of the mobile machine
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is a visual indication system implemented on a mobile machine. The visual indication system at least partially surrounds the mobile machine and includes a plurality of displayable regions. Objects surrounding the mobile machine are detected using an object detection sensor. A direction with respect to the mobile machine is detected for each of the objects. A current state of the mobile machine is determined. An object-directed indicator for each of the objects is generated based on the current state of the mobile machine. The object-directed indicator for each of the objects is displayed on the visual indication system at a particular displayable region based on the direction of the particular object.