Modular Vehicle Control Boards for Faster Cross-Vehicle Adaptation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle management systems are not modular enough to efficiently adapt control systems from one vehicle type to another, due to differences in components, operating constraints, and environmental conditions across various vehicle types.
Innovation Solution
A modular vehicle management system comprising a vehicle-specific board and a vehicle management board, where the vehicle-specific board provides vehicle-type-specific connections for sensor and operational data, and the vehicle management board generates control data based on this information, allowing for rapid development and adaptation of control systems across different vehicle types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a non-modular vehicle management system is used, then the control system can be customized for each vehicle type, but the time and cost for adapting control systems to new vehicle types increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle management system is divided into distinct modular components: a vehicle management board that handles core control functions and vehicle-specific boards that interface with particular vehicle types. This segmentation allows the core management logic to be reused across different vehicle types while only the vehicle-specific interface components need to be adapted, dramatically reducing adaptation time and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle management board is designed as a universal component that can manage multiple types of vehicles through standardized interfaces. The system provides multi-functionality by handling diverse vehicle operations (land vehicles, aerial vehicles, aquatic vehicles) through a single standardized control platform, eliminating the need for complete reconfiguration when switching between vehicle types.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a non-modular vehicle management system is used, then comprehensive control can be maintained, but the complexity of developing control systems for each vehicle type increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments control complexity into two layers: a standardized vehicle management board that handles complex decision-making and control logic, and simpler vehicle-specific boards that handle interface adaptations. This segmentation reduces overall development complexity by concentrating intelligence in the reusable component while keeping vehicle-specific implementations straightforward.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle management board acts as an intermediary between the control system and diverse vehicle types. It provides standardized interfaces and translation layers that mediate between universal control commands and vehicle-specific requirements, simplifying the development process by abstracting away vehicle-type-specific complexities.
3Productivity
If a modular vehicle management system is implemented, then adaptation time is reduced, but the system structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The modular architecture segments the system into standardized and vehicle-specific components, where the vehicle management board contains the complex but reusable control logic, and vehicle-specific boards handle simple interface adaptations. This segmentation improves productivity by enabling parallel development of different vehicle modules while maintaining a unified control core.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by making only the necessary portions of the system vehicle-specific (the interface boards), while keeping the core management logic universal and standardized. This approach minimizes the complexity increase to only where it is locally required, rather than throughout the entire system.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular vehicle management system includes a vehicle management board configured to interface with any of a plurality of vehicle-specific boards. The vehicle management board includes connectors configured to receive operational data from a vehicle-specific board and to send control data to the vehicle-specific board. The vehicle management board includes processors configured to receive the operational data, generate the control data, and send the control data to the vehicle specific board. The vehicle-specific board includes connectors configured to interface with computing devices, connectors configured to interface with the connectors on the vehicle management board to convey operational data and receive control data, and connectors configured to interface with controllers of the vehicle.