Refuse Vehicle Camera Alignment for Waste Cart Grasping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refuse vehicles face challenges in accurately aligning lift apparatuses with waste receptacles, leading to potential knocking or tipping over, requiring manual intervention to rectify spills.
Innovation Solution
A detection and warning system using cameras and processing circuits to capture real-time images, generate bounding boxes, determine object positions, and control arm movements to align and grasp waste receptacles, with optional human intervention for fine adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual intervention is used to align lift apparatus with waste receptacles, then operational flexibility is maintained, but productivity decreases and spill risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical alignment operations with an automated vision-based system. Cameras capture images of waste receptacles, processing circuits analyze the images to determine positions and orientations, and the lift apparatus is automatically controlled to align with detected receptacles. This substitution of manual mechanical operations with automated optical-mechanical systems resolves the contradiction by simultaneously improving productivity through automation and reliability through precise computer-vision-based alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the lift apparatus to self-align with waste receptacles without human intervention. The processing circuits autonomously analyze camera images, calculate required alignment adjustments, and control the lift apparatus positioning. This self-service capability eliminates the need for manual alignment operations while maintaining high accuracy, thereby resolving the contradiction between productivity improvement and reliability maintenance.
2Productivity
If automated alignment system is implemented, then productivity increases and spill risk decreases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-functional integrated system where cameras serve both safety monitoring and alignment guidance functions, processing circuits perform both object detection and position calculation, and the control system manages both lift apparatus positioning and grabber operation. This universalization of components reduces overall system complexity while maintaining automated alignment capabilities and productivity improvements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces image processing algorithms as an intermediary between camera detection and lift apparatus control. The processing circuits analyze camera images to generate alignment guidance information, which then controls the lift apparatus positioning. This intermediary layer simplifies the control architecture by decoupling the detection and control functions, making the overall system more manageable despite the added automation capabilities.
3Area of stationary object
If camera is positioned lower on the vehicle, then field of view extends further along the ground, but the camera becomes obstructed by objects at the collection site
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single two-dimensional camera view to a multi-dimensional imaging system by adding a second camera positioned at a different elevation. The first camera (lower position) captures ground-level details, while the second camera (higher position) provides an elevated perspective that avoids obstructions. This dimensional change in camera placement resolves the contradiction by enabling both extended ground coverage and unobstructed detection through multi-angle imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the imaging function into two separate cameras with different positioning and viewing angles. The first camera focuses on ground-level capture area, while the second camera provides unobstructed detection from above. This segmentation of the detection system allows each camera to optimize its specific function, resolving the contradiction between capture area and detection accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A refuse vehicle can include a first camera, a second camera, and one or more processing circuits. The one or more processing circuits can detect a first object and a second object located proximate to a collection site, generate one or more bounding boxes to establish a dimension for the first object, and determine a position of the first object relative to the second object.