Rail Vehicle Projection Device for Pedestrian Safety Signaling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for warning road users about tram operations, such as acoustic signals, are insufficient in complex environments like pedestrian zones, particularly affecting vulnerable groups like older passengers and children, and do not effectively prevent collisions with rail vehicles.
Innovation Solution
The method involves projecting visually perceptible signals, preferably using laser light, onto the roadway to indicate the operating status of the tram, including impending stops, directions, and safe areas for pedestrians and cyclists, which can be combined with acoustic signals to enhance awareness without unnecessary noise pollution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If acoustic signals (horns, bells) are used to warn road users, then warning capability is provided, but the signals are insufficient to protect against collisions in difficult-to-see places and create noise pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces acoustic warning systems with an optical projection system that projects visible images onto the roadway surface. This substitution eliminates noise pollution while providing reliable visual information about the rail vehicle's operational status, safe crossing areas, and restricted zones to road users in difficult-to-see places.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a visual projection as an intermediary between the rail vehicle and road users. The projection system creates visual representations of safe and restricted areas on the roadway surface, serving as a mediator that communicates vehicle status and safety information without requiring direct acoustic signals or complex communication systems.
2Productivity
If multiple trams operate in pedestrian zones with additional pedestrian flows, then transportation capacity is improved, but the situation becomes particularly confusing for pedestrians and increases collision risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different visual projections to different local areas of the roadway. Each tram projects specific visual information about its own safe crossing areas and restricted zones onto the local roadway surface, providing localized safety information that helps pedestrians navigate complex environments with multiple trams without creating overall confusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses different colors in the projected images to convey different types of information. The projection system uses color coding to distinguish between safe crossing areas and restricted zones, providing intuitive visual cues that help pedestrians quickly understand which areas are safe to enter and which should be avoided, even when multiple trams are operating simultaneously.
3Reliability
If acoustic signals are used to warn road users, then warning is provided, but older passengers or children are often overwhelmed with the situation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces acoustic warning signals with visual projections that are easier for vulnerable groups to comprehend. The visual images projected onto the roadway surface provide intuitive, easy-to-understand information about safe and restricted areas, which is particularly beneficial for older passengers and children who may be overwhelmed by acoustic signals and complex situational information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses color-coded visual projections to simplify information for vulnerable groups. By using distinct colors to represent safe crossing areas versus restricted zones, the system provides immediately recognizable visual cues that are easier for children and older passengers to process and understand compared to acoustic warnings or complex verbal instructions.
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 approach effectively increases safety by providing clear visual cues about safe and restricted areas, reducing the risk of collisions and improving awareness for all road users, especially in challenging environments.
Implementation Method 1
the projection of a visible anti-collision signal for other road users on the road with light
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for displaying information about the operation of a rail vehicle (1) for other traffic participants, comprising projecting at least one free area (6, 7, 8, 9) that can be stepped on and/or driven on onto the surface of a travel path (10) of a first rail vehicle, wherein the at least one free area (6, 7, 8, 9) that can be stepped on and/or driven on is projected from the first rail vehicle by means of a projection device (2a-2h). The invention further relates to a rail vehicle (1), in particular a streetcar, having a device for projecting a free area that can be stepped on and/or driven on onto the surface of a travel path (10) of the rail vehicle.