Optical Ground Sensing for Accurate Driverless Vehicle Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Driverless transport vehicles face inaccuracies in position determination due to influences like tire slippage and wear, leading to significant deviations that hinder precise navigation.
Innovation Solution
Equipping driverless transport vehicles with an optical sensor sensitive to infrared, visible light, or UV radiation to record measurement data from the ground, which is then used by an evaluation unit to determine direction, position, and speed, along with a light source for illumination and a controller to adjust the vehicle's path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If position determination is based on range finders and drive sensors, then the system can operate without complex additional equipment, but measurement precision deteriorates due to tire slippage and wear accumulating over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an optical sensor as an intermediary measurement device that captures images of the ground to determine vehicle position and movement. This mediator bypasses the unreliable tire-based measurement system by using optical patterns on the ground as reference points, thereby improving position determination accuracy without requiring a complete system overhaul
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical measurement approach (using tire rotations and drive sensors) with an optical measurement system (using cameras and image processing). This substitution eliminates the accumulation errors from tire slippage and wear by using visual field of view changes and optical pattern recognition to determine position and speed
2Measurement precision
If the optical sensor has more pixels for better image quality, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by using a limited number of pixels (fewer than 1500, preferably fewer than 500) that is sufficient for the specific application of ground pattern recognition and movement detection. This avoids the excessive complexity and cost of high-resolution sensors while maintaining adequate measurement precision for navigation purposes
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables precise determination and correction of direction, position, and speed, reducing errors and improving navigation accuracy in driverless transport systems.
Implementation Method 1
an optical sensor, in particular which is sensitive in the optical range of the electromagnetic spectrum, particularly preferably in the range of infrared radiation and/or in the range of visible light and/or in the range of UV rays
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining a direction of travel and/or a change in position and/or a speed of a driverless transport vehicle (1), which has an optical sensor (8) directed to a ground (10), on which the driverless transport vehicle (1) is traveling, wherein a) measurement data is acquired by means of the optical sensor (8), and b) the direction of travel of the driverless transport vehicle (1) and/or a change in position and/or a speed of the driverless transport vehicle (1) is/are determined by an evaluation unit (6) in the driverless transport vehicle (1) based on the acquired measurement data. A driverless transport vehicle and a method for operating a driverless transport vehicle are also provided along with a driverless transport system.