Remote Fleet Monitoring for Material Handling Vehicle Error Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicle fleets face productivity and safety issues due to the need for human intervention to resolve errors and malfunctions, which can lead to increased costs and potential injuries, as many vehicles lack user controls and are not adapted for manual operation.
Innovation Solution
A material handling vehicle tracking and monitoring system that includes a remote monitoring station and sensors, allowing for real-time data processing and transmission of composite images, enabling remote operators to diagnose and potentially resolve issues without physical presence, using a headset for augmented reality and virtual control of vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If autonomous vehicles are deployed in a fleet to improve productivity, then output per unit time increases, but the need for human intervention increases when errors or malfunctions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the autonomous vehicle's environment and state by transmitting sensor data, camera feeds, and system status to a remote monitoring station. This digital replica allows operators to view the vehicle's perspective and diagnose issues remotely, enabling intervention without physical presence in the workspace.
Solution Approach 2:
The remote monitoring station serves as an intermediary between the autonomous vehicle and human operators. It receives data from the vehicle's sensors and systems, processes this information, and presents it to operators in a usable format, facilitating remote diagnosis and control without requiring operators to physically enter the workspace.
2Reliability
If humans are introduced into the workspace to resolve issues, then error conditions can be addressed, but safety risks and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
By creating a virtual representation of the workspace through sensor data and camera feeds transmitted to the remote monitoring station, operators can safely diagnose and resolve issues without physically entering the potentially hazardous environment where autonomous vehicles operate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical presence of humans in the physical workspace with an electronic and optical system that transmits visual and sensor data to remote operators. This substitution eliminates the need for human operators to be physically present in the workspace, thereby removing safety risks while maintaining error resolution capability.
3Extent of automation
If autonomous vehicles lack user controls and manual operation capability, then automation is maintained, but ease of operation during error conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The remote monitoring station creates a virtual interface that replicates the autonomous vehicle's sensor inputs and system status, allowing operators to observe and control the vehicle remotely. This virtual copy enables manual intervention without requiring physical presence or direct access to the vehicle's control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The remote monitoring station acts as an intermediary that bridges the autonomous vehicle's automated systems and human operators. It provides operators with access to vehicle sensors and controls through a remote interface, enabling ease of operation during error conditions while preserving the vehicle's autonomous operation capabilities.
4Reliability
If humans are kept on standby to handle errors, then reliability is maintained, but productivity gains from autonomous operation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By transmitting the autonomous vehicle's sensor data and system status to a remote monitoring station, operators can monitor multiple vehicles simultaneously from a centralized location. This virtual copying approach allows error handling readiness without requiring operators to be physically present or constantly attending to each vehicle, thereby preserving productivity gains.
Solution Approach 2:
The remote monitoring station serves as an intermediary that enables operators to efficiently monitor and handle errors across multiple autonomous vehicles from a single location. This eliminates the need for operators to be physically stationed near each vehicle, maintaining reliability while preserving the productivity benefits of autonomous operation.
5Productivity
If remote monitoring and control systems are implemented, then human intervention is reduced, but system complexity and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The remote monitoring station is designed to handle multiple autonomous vehicles simultaneously through a single centralized interface. This multi-functional system can monitor, diagnose, and control various vehicle types and error conditions using the same infrastructure, reducing overall system complexity compared to having separate monitoring systems for each vehicle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple monitoring and control functions into a single remote monitoring station that can handle various autonomous vehicles and error conditions. By merging sensor data reception, video feed processing, system status monitoring, and control signal transmission into one centralized system, the infrastructure requirements are reduced compared to distributed monitoring approaches.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for remotely monitoring a fleet of material handling vehicles is provided. The system and method include a remote monitoring station with a display interface and a server and one or more material handling vehicles with a sensor system and a vehicle controller with a processor and a memory device. The vehicle controller generates time-sequenced data based on received sensor data to create a composite image based on historical composite data and transmits the composite image in real-time to the display interface of the remote monitoring station.