Platoon Organization Device for Continuous Package Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
In platoon traveling of vehicles transporting packages, existing methods fail to maintain continuous travel when a driver needs to use a toilet or when vehicle failures occur, leading to unnecessary stopping of the platoon.
Innovation Solution
A platoon organization device and method that identifies and includes special vehicles equipped with necessary functions or equipment, such as repair or toilet vehicles, in the platoon to address events requiring vehicle stopping, ensuring these vehicles are present from the departure to the destination, thereby preventing platoon stops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If platoon traveling is performed to improve transport efficiency, then productivity is improved, but the platoon must stop when driver needs toilet or vehicle failure occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-arranging backup vehicles and support facilities along the platoon route. Before the platoon encounters any issues, alternative vehicles are positioned at strategic locations to provide immediate replacement, and support vehicles carrying essential supplies are deployed in advance, enabling continuous operation without stopping.
Solution Approach 2:
Support vehicles act as intermediaries between the platoon and external support systems. These vehicles carry spare parts, tools, and supplies, serving as mobile depots that can resolve vehicle failures and driver needs without requiring the platoon to stop and access external facilities.
2Reliability
If the platoon stops for driver needs or vehicle failures, then reliability is improved by addressing issues, but productivity deteriorates due to stopping
Solution Approach 1:
Backup vehicles are pre-positioned along the route before the platoon encounters any problems. When a vehicle failure or driver need occurs, the platoon can immediately switch to the pre-positioned backup vehicle, resolving the reliability issue without stopping and maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares compensatory measures in advance by deploying support vehicles with spare parts and supplies ahead of the platoon. This cushioning preparation ensures that when failures occur, they can be resolved immediately using pre-positioned resources, preventing stops that would reduce productivity.
3Reliability
If special vehicles are included in the platoon to resolve events, then reliability is improved by preventing stops, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Support vehicles are designed with multi-functionality, carrying various spare parts, tools, and supplies that can address multiple types of vehicle failures and driver needs. This universal design allows a single support vehicle to handle diverse issues, reducing the need for multiple specialized vehicles and thereby limiting the increase in platoon complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support vehicle serves as an intermediary that consolidates multiple support functions into a single unit. Rather than requiring separate vehicles for different types of repairs or supplies, the intermediary support vehicle carries a comprehensive set of resources, simplifying platoon composition while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A platoon organization device includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire operation plan information including a departure place, a destination, and information indicating whether the vehicle corresponds to a special vehicle, of each vehicle, the special vehicle being a vehicle having at least one of a predetermined function and equipment that resolves an event when the event that requires stopping of the vehicle occurs in at least one of the vehicle and a driver; an extraction unit configured to extract a plurality of vehicles having at least a part of sections in common in a course from the departure place to the destination; an organization unit configured to organize a platoon including the vehicles such that at least one special vehicle is included in a vehicle group organizing the platoon from a platoon departure place to a platoon destination; and an output unit configured to output platoon information.