Autonomous Operator Shuttle Dispatch Using Work Machine Position
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing management systems for autonomous travel vehicles at work sites face challenges in smoothly facilitating the movement of operators between work machines and offices or other locations, lacking efficient methods to determine target positions and optimize travel paths.
Innovation Solution
A management system for autonomous travel vehicles that includes a work machine position acquisition unit and a target position determination unit, which acquires and determines the target position for the autonomous vehicle based on the operator's work machine position, enabling smooth pick-up and drop-off operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If an autonomous travel vehicle is introduced to transport operators at a work site, then operator mobility and productivity are improved, but the complexity of the management system increases due to the need for real-time position tracking and target position determination
Solution Approach 1:
The management system acts as an intermediary between operators and autonomous vehicles. It receives position information from work machines, determines target positions for vehicles, and manages vehicle dispatch automatically, reducing the need for direct human intervention and simplifying operational complexity despite introducing automation
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously acquires position information of work machines and uses this feedback to dynamically determine target positions for autonomous vehicles. This real-time feedback loop enables the system to adapt to changing conditions at the work site, optimizing operator transport efficiency while maintaining manageable system complexity through automated decision-making
2Loss of time
If real-time position tracking of work machines is implemented, then operator transport efficiency is improved, but the amount of data processing and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential position information from work machines that is needed for determining target positions of autonomous vehicles. By selecting and processing only relevant data points rather than all available information, the system reduces data processing load while still achieving real-time responsiveness for operator transport
Solution Approach 2:
The management system preliminarily determines target positions based on acquired work machine positions before operators actually need transport. This advance preparation reduces operator wait time by having vehicles ready and positioned appropriately, while the preliminary nature of the action allows data processing to occur during less critical periods
Data Source
AI summary
A management system for an autonomous travel vehicle includes: a work machine position acquisition unit that acquires a position of a work machine operated by an operator and having a travel device; and a target position determination unit that determines a target position of the autonomous travel vehicle based on the position of the work machine.