Obscurant Mitigation Control for Work Machine Sensor Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for mitigating obscurants in work machine environments are inefficient, leading to decreased perception, increased measurement errors, and higher costs, as they often require manual intervention or dedicated power systems that increase fuel consumption and limit machine performance.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that predicts and mitigates obscurant plumes by characterizing their characteristics, generating a mitigation plan, and controlling vehicle systems to reduce optical density within the work machine's critical field of view, using an obscurant assessor, mitigator, and controller to automate the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If manual mitigation systems are used to adjust work machine components, then obscurant accumulation can be reduced, but sensing perception decreases and measurement errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical adjustment systems with an automated optical detection and control system. The system uses sensors to detect obscurant levels and automatically adjusts mitigation components, eliminating the need for manual intervention while maintaining or improving measurement precision through electronic sensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the work machine to automatically monitor and mitigate obscurant accumulation without external human intervention. The automated control system continuously adjusts mitigation components based on real-time sensor data, allowing the system to self-regulate and maintain optimal operating conditions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If dedicated air cleaning devices are used to remove particles from air stream, then air pollution is reduced, but fuel consumption increases due to additional power requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies air cleaning only when and where needed rather than continuously throughout the entire air stream. By using targeted mitigation at specific locations where obscurant accumulation is detected, the system reduces pollution effectively while minimizing the power and fuel consumption associated with running dedicated cleaning devices at full capacity continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system detects obscurant accumulation early and takes preliminary mitigation action before pollution levels become critical. This allows for more efficient, lower-power cleaning operations rather than requiring high-power devices to run at full capacity to address severe pollution after it has accumulated.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If work machine speed is controlled based on optical density of obscurant, then mitigation capability is improved, but machine productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies speed control only in specific locations where high optical density obscurant is detected, rather than reducing speed uniformly across all operating conditions. This localized approach maintains productivity in areas with good visibility while providing mitigation capability where needed, optimizing the balance between productivity and obscurant management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts speed control based on real-time obscurant detection rather than using fixed speed limits. The control system continuously monitors optical density and adjusts machine speed accordingly, allowing the machine to operate at high speed when conditions permit and reduce speed only when and where obscurant mitigation is necessary.
4Extent of automation
If automated obscurant mitigation systems are implemented, then unmanned operations become possible and manual adjustments are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multi-functional components that perform both detection and mitigation functions. Sensors are integrated with control systems that automatically adjust mitigation components, creating a unified automated system that reduces the need for separate manual control mechanisms and simplifies the overall architecture despite the added automation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with an example embodiment, a system and method for obscurant mitigation is disclosed. The system comprises an obscurant assessor configured to characterize one or more characteristics of a detected obscurant and generate an obscurant model; an obscurant mitigator configured to perform one or more mitigation operations; and a controller communicatively coupled to each of the obscurant assessor and the obscurant mitigator. The controller is configured to receive an output signal from a vehicle sensor corresponding to a detected obscurant level and determine if the detected obscurant level exceeds a predetermined threshold. The controller generates an obscurant mitigation plan if the detected obscurant level exceeds the predetermined threshold based on the obscurant model generated by the obscurant assessor; and controls operations of an obscurant mitigator based on the obscurant mitigation plan to reduce the detected obscurant level.