Off-Road Infrastructure Planning Tool for Agricultural Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current infrastructure planning tools for electric and zero-emission vehicles do not account for the unique needs of agricultural and off-highway applications, failing to optimize the placement of critical infrastructure such as charging and fueling stations, which are typically designed for densely populated areas and do not consider factors specific to these uses.
Innovation Solution
An infrastructure planning tool that uses a navigation unit and processor to determine the optimal location for critical infrastructure within off-road areas by estimating energy usage based on vehicle weight, speed, grade, and other parameters, and renders a graphical representation for displaying the route and infrastructure placement, allowing for adaptive planning of charging or fueling stations tailored to specific agricultural or off-highway operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If current infrastructure planning tools designed for densely populated areas are used for agricultural and off-highway applications, then the infrastructure can be planned using existing methods, but the placement will not be optimized for the unique needs of off-road operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system adapts infrastructure placement to local conditions by analyzing specific off-road terrain characteristics, vehicle operational patterns, and energy consumption data for agricultural applications, rather than applying uniform urban planning methods. This allows the infrastructure to be optimized for the specific local needs of off-highway operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the planning parameters from urban-density-based metrics to off-road-specific parameters including terrain type, vehicle weight, speed, grade, and operational duration. These parameter changes enable the infrastructure placement to account for the unique energy consumption patterns of agricultural and off-highway vehicles.
2Productivity
If infrastructure placement is optimized for agricultural applications by considering vehicle-specific parameters, then the efficiency and convenience are improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle's own operational data (weight, speed, energy consumption) is used to determine infrastructure placement requirements. The system leverages the vehicle's self-reported parameters rather than requiring external complex measurements, simplifying the overall system while maintaining high productivity optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis of vehicle parameters and terrain conditions before finalizing infrastructure placement. By pre-calculating energy consumption based on vehicle specifications and operational patterns, the system reduces on-site complexity while ensuring optimized placement for maximum productivity.
3Loss of time
If critical infrastructure is placed without considering energy consumption patterns, then the placement process is simpler, but vehicle downtime increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from vehicle energy consumption data to continuously optimize infrastructure placement. By monitoring actual energy usage patterns during operation and adjusting placement decisions accordingly, the system minimizes vehicle downtime while managing analysis complexity through iterative improvement rather than exhaustive upfront analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary energy consumption analysis based on vehicle parameters and terrain data before infrastructure placement. This advance calculation of energy requirements allows the system to pre-determine optimal charging/fueling locations, reducing vehicle downtime without requiring complex real-time analysis during operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, devices and apparatuses for an infrastructure planning tool. The infrastructure planning tool includes a navigation unit. The navigation unit is configured to determine a location of a vehicle. The infrastructure planning tool includes a processor. The processor is configured to determine a route within an off-road real property to traverse by the vehicle using the location of the vehicle over a period of time. The processor is configured to determine or estimate an amount of energy used by the vehicle to traverse the route. The processor is configured to determine a location along the route to place critical based on the amount of energy used. The processor is configured to render, on a display, a graphical representation that includes the route, the off-road real property and the location along the route to place the critical infrastructure.