Modular Autonomous Vehicle Layout for Bidirectional Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional autonomous vehicles are often configured with unnecessary components and constrained by human driver-based design paradigms, leading to inefficiencies and limitations in navigation and operation.
Innovation Solution
The development of a robotic vehicle configuration using modular, quadrants with redundant systems and sensors, allowing for bidirectional travel and autonomous operation without human interaction, featuring symmetrically disposed structural sections, redundant controllers, and regenerative braking systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional vehicle design is used for autonomous vehicles, then manufacturing processes are standardized, but unnecessary components increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes unnecessary human-driver-specific components (steering wheel, pedals, dashboard, mirrors, windshield) from the vehicle configuration, retaining only essential autonomous operation components (sensors, propulsion, braking, structural sections), thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining standardized manufacturing capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle is divided into four identical or mirror-image structural sections (quadrants), each containing redundant systems (controllers, sensors, propulsion, braking). This segmentation allows standardized manufacturing of modular units while reducing overall complexity through repetition and interchangeability
2Device complexity
If driverless configuration is implemented, then unnecessary components are removed, but adaptability to different operating conditions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Each structural section is designed to be identical or a mirror image of the others, making each section universally functional. Any section can perform propulsion, sensing, and control functions, allowing the vehicle to adapt to different operating conditions through reconfiguration of identical modular units rather than requiring specialized components
3Reliability
If redundant systems are added for autonomous operation, then reliability increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle contains four structural sections with redundant controllers, sensors, and systems in each section. This segmentation distributes reliability functions across multiple identical or mirror-image modules, increasing overall system reliability while managing complexity through standardized modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements redundant controllers and systems in each structural section that can take over if primary systems fail, providing beforehand cushioning against system failures and enhancing autonomous operation reliability
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems, apparatus and methods to implement sectional design (e.g., in quadrants) of an autonomous vehicle may include modular construction techniques to assemble an autonomous vehicle from multiple structural sections. The multiple structural sections may be configured to implement radial and bilateral symmetry. A structural section based configuration may include a power supply configuration (e.g., using rechargeable batteries) including a double-backed power supply system. The power supply system may include a kill switch disposed on a power supply (e.g., at an end of a rechargeable battery). The kill switch may be configured to disable the power supply system in the event of an emergency or after a collision, for example. The radial and bilateral symmetry may provide for bi-directional driving operations of the autonomous vehicle as the vehicle may not have a designated front end or a back end.