Reconfigurable Electric Vehicle Structural Modules
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric vehicles have limited structural and technological adaptability for different types of uses, leading to low utilization rates.
Innovation Solution
A structurally reconfigurable electric vehicle system that detects and automatically adjusts feature sets based on removable structural modules, allowing for multiple configurations to suit various applications, including suspension characteristics, braking performance, and steering ratios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional electric vehicles use a fixed structural configuration, then the vehicle structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the vehicle has low adaptability for different types of uses and low utilization rates
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle body is divided into a base structure and multiple removable structural modules. Each module can be independently attached or detached to transform the vehicle between different configurations (e.g., passenger mode, cargo mode). This segmentation allows the vehicle to adapt to different uses without requiring a completely different vehicle design for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The base vehicle structure is designed as a universal platform that can accommodate multiple types of removable modules. The same base vehicle can be configured for different purposes by simply changing the attached module, making the vehicle system multi-functional and adaptable to various applications including passenger transport, cargo delivery, and specialized uses.
2Productivity
If the vehicle structure is reconfigured for different uses, then the utilization rate improves, but the vehicle requires complex detection and automatic configuration setting systems
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle system automatically detects which removable module is attached and autonomously determines the appropriate configuration without requiring manual input from the user. The detection system identifies the module type, and the control system automatically adjusts suspension, braking, steering, and other vehicle parameters to match the detected configuration, making the system self-configuring.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to detect the presence and type of removable module, then feeds this information back to the control system. Based on this feedback, the control system automatically adjusts vehicle parameters to the appropriate settings for the detected configuration, creating a closed-loop system that adapts to the current structural state.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple predetermined structural configurations are available, then the vehicle can suit various applications, but the time required for configuration changes and detection increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple removable structural modules are pre-designed and pre-configured for specific applications. Each module is prepared in advance with its intended function (e.g., passenger seats, cargo containers, specialized equipment mounts), so when a module is attached to the base vehicle, the system already knows the target configuration and can quickly switch to the appropriate settings without requiring complex real-time calculations.
Data Source
AI summary
Utilization of shared vehicles that are structurally and reversibly reconfigurable to suit requests for particular vehicle configurations is described. Vehicle use is monitored for plural vehicles shared among multiple users/uses. In response to a first request for a first particular configuration of a vehicle, a first vehicle is selected/provided in the first particular configuration having a predetermined first feature set, the first feature set being automatically set based on the first vehicle being placed in the first particular configuration. In response to a second use request for a second particular configuration of a vehicle different from the first particular configuration, the first vehicle is selected/provided in the second particular configuration having a predetermined second feature set, the second feature set being automatically set at the first vehicle based on the first vehicle being placed in the second particular configuration, the first feature set being different from the second feature set.