Remote Crane Cockpit With Adaptive Multisensory Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operators of remotely controlled cranes are unaware of sudden changes in their surroundings, leading to potential hazards due to the distancing of the operator, which compromises their awareness of imminent risks or dangers.
Innovation Solution
A remote crane cockpit apparatus with an alert system that includes variable sensory stimulations, such as visual, audio, tactile, and olfactory alerts, dynamically adjusted based on danger level, to draw the operator's attention and prevent disregard of alarms, and includes a controller to analyze operator responses for personalized stimulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the operator is distanced from the crane for remote control, then safety of the operator is improved, but awareness of surrounding environment and imminent risks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary alert system that includes sensors, processors, and output devices positioned between the operator and the crane environment. This system mediates the information flow by detecting environmental conditions through sensors and presenting processed alerts to the operator, compensating for the loss of direct environmental awareness while maintaining remote control safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the natural mechanical/sensory connection between the operator and the physical environment with an electronic information system. Sensors detect environmental parameters, processors analyze and interpret data, and output devices present information to the operator, substituting direct environmental interaction with electronic mediation
2Device complexity
If simple alarm indicators are used, then device complexity is reduced, but operator attention and response effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic alert characteristics where the system adapts its behavior based on situation severity. Output devices can vary their output intensity, frequency, and type depending on the detected danger level, transforming a static alarm system into a dynamic one that optimizes operator attention without requiring complex hardware for each possible state
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes parameters of the alert output rather than adding complex hardware. By varying parameters such as sound intensity, light brightness, vibration frequency, or olfactory concentration, the system achieves multiple alert levels and types using the same physical devices, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining effectiveness
Data Source
AI summary
Remote crane cockpit apparatus for remotely controlling at least one crane by an operator. The apparatus includes a disregard-thwarting system for thwarting disregard of alarm indication by the operator. The disregard-thwarting system includes at least one alarm indicator configured to induce sensory stimulation, which can be dynamically varied in correlation to parameters that may include danger level perseverance, operator response time, and operator reaction-score. The alarm indication may include a secondary sense stimulator.