Autonomous Portal Vehicle Coordination for Stable Multi-Task Construction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems face challenges in efficiently performing multiple tasks on construction sites across land, sea, and underwater environments due to limitations in vehicle versatility, obstacle navigation, cable management, and stability, particularly in complex environments like agrovoltaic farms and photovoltaic plants.
Innovation Solution
A modular system comprising autonomous vehicles and equipment that can be configured for 360° work coverage, with extendable legs and cantilever extensions, capable of navigating obstacles, managing cables, and providing continuous power and fluid supply, using wireless and wired charging methods, and equipped with stabilization systems for precise operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If autonomous vehicles are used to perform tasks in construction sites, then productivity and safety are improved, but coordination complexity and maneuver precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the construction site into multiple zones with dedicated autonomous vehicles for specific tasks (drilling, installation, maintenance, inspection). Each vehicle operates semi-independently within its zone, reducing overall coordination complexity while maintaining high productivity through parallel operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs multi-functional autonomous vehicles that can perform multiple tasks (e.g., vehicles that can both install and maintain structures, or inspect and repair). This reduces the total number of vehicles needed and simplifies coordination while maintaining high productivity through task versatility.
2Manufacturing precision
If vehicles operate in limited spaces with technical corridors, then task precision is improved, but vehicle mobility and cable management deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicles are designed with dynamic, adjustable structures including extendable legs and cantilever extensions that can adapt to limited spaces. The vehicles can change their configuration to navigate through technical corridors while maintaining precision for installation and maintenance tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cable management systems with reels and guides as intermediary mechanisms that allow vehicles to move through limited spaces without cable entanglement. These intermediaries handle the cables, keeping them organized and preventing interference with vehicle mobility while maintaining connection for power and data.
3Area of stationary object
If vehicles are equipped with extendable legs and cantilever extensions for 360° coverage, then work coverage area is improved, but vehicle stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The extendable legs and cantilever extensions are designed as dynamic structures that can be deployed only when needed for specific tasks. When retracted, the vehicle maintains full stability for mobility. The system dynamically adjusts between coverage area and stability based on operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs stabilization systems with counterbalancing mechanisms that compensate for the weight and leverage of extendable legs and cantilever extensions. When these structures are deployed, the stabilization system activates to maintain vehicle balance and prevent tipping, ensuring both extended coverage and vehicle stability.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If continuous power and fluid supply is provided to moving vehicles, then operation continuity is improved, but cable management and obstacle navigation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cable management function into separate dedicated systems (cable reels, guides, and organizers) that are independent from the vehicle's primary functions. This separation allows continuous power and fluid supply through well-managed cables while the vehicle focuses on its primary tasks without cable interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable management system acts as an intermediary between the power source and the moving vehicles. Reels and guides continuously feed and organize cables, ensuring uninterrupted power and fluid supply while preventing entanglement and facilitating smooth vehicle movement through obstacle-prone areas.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a system (1000) to carry out a multiplicity of possible tasks on construction sites and to act in: air, land, sea and under water; safely, increasing execution duration, allowing precision and stability. The system (1000) includes a control unit (100, 101 and 102) to operate vehicles and equipment, for: operation, feeding, transportation and storage; such as: vehicles to transport other vehicles, charge wired, easy contact or wireless power to other vehicles, distribute and manipulate cables with sensors, select, contain and transport objects, units to assemble, store, power, maintain and deliver in the construction sites. The system (1000) includes an UPV Portal-type multi-task autonomous unmanned vehicle, which includes a modular portal-type structure (1.1), extensible motorized legs, to adapt to the inclinations of the terrain and overcome obstacles, where it moves at least one robot arm (1.2) that includes a stabilization base (50) that performs the tasks and another robot arm (1.62) to attach to a construction sites, a centralized mobile reel unit (700A and 700B) which feeds cables and hoses to supply energy, charge power and feed or extract objects, additive and subtractive fluids (e.g. paint, air suction, extraction of a sample, etc.) to the robot arm (1.2) with tools to execute one or multiple possible tasks on a construction site; which includes an end effector, surface cleaner (32) that comprises means for dissolving and extracting dirt without spilling excess.The present disclosure also relates methods for vehicles and equipment in different environments: operation, layout, transfer, installation, assembly, recharging of fluids and power, and immersion.