Portable Wheel Aligner for Continuous No-Stop Caster Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional camera-based 3D machine vision-type aligners are not portable and face challenges in maneuverability due to their large size and fixed mounting, leading to difficulties in moving between alignment bays, and require time-consuming positioning and caster swing procedures, with potential inaccuracies from uneven surfaces and equipment issues.
Innovation Solution
A self-contained aligner with folding arms, wireless communication, and rapid camera measurement devices that allow for continuous measurement and correction of alignment parameters, enabling non-stop procedures and remote control, while being compact enough to navigate through typical shop environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional camera-based aligners use fixed mounting and large size for stable measurements, then measurement precision is improved, but portability and ease of moving between bays deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The aligner system is divided into separable components: a portable console unit and camera units that can be independently positioned. The camera units are mounted on adjustable poles rather than being permanently fixed, allowing the system to be disassembled and relocated between alignment bays while maintaining measurement precision through recalibration.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera mounting system uses adjustable poles with variable heights instead of fixed rigid mounts. This dynamic configuration allows the cameras to be repositioned at different locations and heights to accommodate various bay layouts and vehicle types, enabling portability without sacrificing measurement capability.
2Ease of operation
If camera-based aligners use separate poles for cameras and console to improve portability, then ease of moving is improved, but device complexity and difficulty of maneuvering increases
Solution Approach 1:
The console and camera units are integrated into a coordinated system where the camera poles can be attached to or separated from the console as needed. This merging approach reduces the number of completely independent components compared to fully separate systems, simplifying maneuvering while retaining portability benefits.
3Measurement precision
If conventional aligners require positioning and caster swing procedures with stops to ensure accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity and time efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs continuous measurement of alignment parameters during the caster swing procedure without requiring stops at intermediate positions. The camera system captures data throughout the entire swing range, and the processor continuously calculates alignment parameters, eliminating the time-consuming stop-and-measure cycles of conventional systems while maintaining accuracy through comprehensive data collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical stop-based measurement approach is replaced with an optical measurement system that continuously tracks wheel targets during motion. The camera-based vision system substitutes for mechanical positioners and stop mechanisms, enabling non-stop measurement while maintaining precision through optical detection and computational analysis.
4Measurement precision
If camera-based aligners are mounted high to see targets when rack is raised, then measurement capability is improved, but portability and ease of maneuvering through low areas deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The camera mounting height is made variable through adjustable poles rather than being fixed at a permanently high position. The poles can be extended to high positions when needed for measurement and collapsed to low positions for maneuvering through doors and tight spaces, providing dynamic adaptability to different operational requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle wheel alignment system has a plurality of cameras, each camera for viewing a respective target disposed at a respective wheel of the vehicle and capturing image data of the target as the wheel and target are continuously rotated a number of degrees of rotation without a pause. The image data is used to calculate a minimum number of poses of the target of at least one pose for every five degrees of rotation as the wheel and target are continuously rotated the number of degrees of rotation without a pause. At least one of the cameras comprises a data processor for performing the steps of preprocessing the image data, and calculating an alignment parameter for the vehicle based on the preprocessed image data.