Offroad Travel Assistance System for Vehicle Trail Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Offroad vehicles face challenges in determining whether their configuration is suitable for traversing trails established by other vehicles, leading to potential damage due to mechanical and operational mismatches.
Innovation Solution
An offroad travel assistance system that includes processors and memory to evaluate user vehicle configuration against ride information from a reference vehicle, autonomously controlling the vehicle to prevent traversal if inconsistencies are found, and suggesting alternative components or systems for modification to ensure safe passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a vehicle traverses an offroad trail established by another vehicle, then the vehicle can access new trails and expand exploration capability, but the vehicle may suffer mechanical damage due to configuration mismatches between vehicles and trails
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of vehicle configuration against trail requirements before the vehicle commits to traversing the trail. The processor compares vehicle parameters (ground clearance, suspension capability, powertrain specifications) with trail characteristics (terrain difficulty, elevation changes, obstacles) to predict potential damage risks in advance, preventing unsafe trail attempts before they occur
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback from reference vehicle traversals to improve trail difficulty assessments. When a reference vehicle successfully completes a trail, the system records the actual performance data and uses it to refine the difficulty rating and configuration requirements for that trail, making future compatibility assessments more accurate and reliable
2Reliability
If the system autonomously prevents vehicle operation on incompatible trails, then vehicle damage is prevented, but the user loses operational freedom and cannot traverse desired trails
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides self-service by automatically evaluating vehicle-trail compatibility and communicating results to the user without requiring manual assessment. The processor autonomously compares vehicle configuration with trail requirements and presents a clear compatibility determination, allowing users to make informed decisions while retaining final operational control
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by identifying and warning against incompatible trail selections before the user commits to traversal. The system proactively presents compatibility warnings and alternative trail suggestions, allowing users to adjust their trail selection before attempting traversal, thus preventing potential damage while preserving user choice
3Measurement precision
If the system provides detailed vehicle configuration evaluation, then accurate compatibility assessment is achieved, but the system complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the compatibility assessment into distinct evaluation modules: ground clearance assessment, suspension capability evaluation, powertrain sufficiency analysis, and trail characteristic matching. Each module independently evaluates specific vehicle parameters against corresponding trail requirements, making the complex assessment process more manageable and computationally efficient while maintaining comprehensive coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a universal evaluation framework that can assess multiple vehicle types and trail conditions using the same core processor and comparison algorithms. The modular architecture allows the system to handle different vehicle configurations (SUVs, trucks, offroad specialists) and various trail types (rock crawling, desert running, forest trails) through a single multi-functional platform, reducing overall system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
An offroad travel assistance system for a user vehicle includes one or more processors and a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors and storing a user vehicle configuration evaluation module including computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to determine if user vehicle configuration information describing the user vehicle is consistent with ride information similar to the user vehicle configuration information and describing a traversal of an offroad trail by a reference vehicle and, responsive to a determination that the user vehicle configuration information is not consistent with the ride information, autonomously control at least one portion of the user vehicle so as to prevent operation of the user vehicle to traverse the offroad trail.