Refuse Vehicle Digital Twin for Sensor Data Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for refuse vehicles lack an efficient and integrated method to collect and utilize data from various sensors and systems, limiting real-time monitoring and management capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A digital twinning system that includes sensors, devices, and an electronic control system to generate a virtual representation of the refuse vehicle, allowing for real-time data collection, processing, and remote monitoring, enabling improved operational management and decision-making.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a digital twinning system is implemented to collect and process data from multiple sensors and systems, then real-time monitoring and operational management capabilities are improved, but device complexity and data management burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy (digital twin) of the physical refuse vehicle that replicates its operational state in real-time. This virtual model receives data from multiple sensors and systems, allowing monitoring and analysis without adding physical complexity to the actual vehicle. The digital twin serves as a separate entity that handles the complexity of data aggregation and processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital twin acts as an intermediary layer between the physical vehicle systems and the user interface. It receives raw data from multiple sources (sensors, electronic control systems), processes and integrates this information, then presents it in a unified visual representation. This intermediary approach simplifies the interface complexity while maintaining comprehensive monitoring capabilities.
2Productivity
If comprehensive data from sensors and electronic control systems is collected and processed, then operational efficiency and maintenance capabilities are improved, but data processing requirements and computational burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
By creating a virtual replica of the vehicle system, the patent enables comprehensive data processing to occur in the digital domain rather than requiring extensive computational resources in the physical vehicle. The digital twin can perform complex analyses, predictive maintenance calculations, and operational optimizations without consuming power from the vehicle's electrical system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions data processing from the physical dimension (on-vehicle computing) to the digital dimension (virtual environment). This dimensional shift allows for more flexible and powerful processing capabilities, as the digital twin can leverage cloud computing resources or local computing systems that are not constrained by the vehicle's power and space limitations.
3Ease of operation
If a visual representation system is provided to users through user devices, then ease of operation and monitoring are improved, but communication requirements and network dependency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The digital twin creates a visual copy of the vehicle's operational state that can be displayed on user devices. This visual representation makes complex system data accessible and easy to understand for operators and managers. The copy can be updated in real-time or near real-time, providing intuitive monitoring without requiring users to interpret raw sensor data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where the digital twin continuously receives data from the physical vehicle and updates the visual representation accordingly. This real-time feedback mechanism ensures that users always see the current operational state, enabling timely decision-making. The feedback loop can be configured to alert users to specific conditions or thresholds, improving operational awareness.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for digital twinning a refuse vehicle includes a refuse vehicle and a controller. The refuse vehicle includes a sensor, a device, and an electronic control system. The controller is configured to receive multiple datasets from at least one of the sensor, the device, and the electronic control system. The controller is also configured to generate a virtual refuse vehicle based on the plurality of datasets. The virtual refuse vehicle includes a visual representation of the refuse vehicle and the multiple datasets. Each of the multiple datasets are mapped to a corresponding one of the sensors or one of the electronic control systems. The controller is configured to operate a display of a user device to provide the visual representation of the refuse vehicle and one or more of the multiple datasets to a user.