On-Board Road Length Measurement via Overtaking Synchronization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for measuring the length of a road section, as required by the Italian Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport's Decree n. 282 of 13 June 2017, chapter 4.3, face challenges in precision and require road closure or installation of construction sites, especially when dealing with curves and straight sections between them.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising two on-board devices installed on vehicles that travel along opposite edges of the road section, using overtaking sensors and traveled distance meters to measure the length by enabling and disabling distance measurements based on overtaking events, allowing synchronized measurement of the road section length without road closure or construction sites.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single vehicle travels along the road section to measure its length, then the measurement can be performed, but the vehicle must cross the road diagonally between curves which complicates the measurement and may require road closure
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement task is segmented between two vehicles traveling in opposite directions. Each vehicle measures the road section from its own perspective, and the results are combined. This eliminates the need for diagonal crossing and simplifies the measurement path for each vehicle to follow the road edges naturally.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of one vehicle attempting to measure the entire road section including diagonal crossings, two vehicles travel in opposite directions along the road edges. The measurement approach is inverted from a single complex path to two simple complementary paths, where each vehicle follows the natural road geometry without diagonal movements.
2Measurement precision
If a single vehicle measures the road section length by traveling along edges and crossing diagonally, then the measurement covers the entire section, but it requires road closure or construction sites for safety
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement operation is divided between two vehicles that can operate independently on opposite sides of the road. This segmentation allows normal traffic to continue flowing while the measurement vehicles perform their task without requiring road closure or construction zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement system can operate under normal traffic conditions without requiring special road closure arrangements. The dual-vehicle approach provides multi-functionality by simultaneously enabling accurate measurement and maintaining normal traffic flow, eliminating the need for construction sites or traffic control measures.
3Productivity
If two vehicles travel along opposite edges to measure the road section, then traffic flow is maintained, but synchronized measurement requires coordination of overtaking events
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from overtaking sensor detections to coordinate the measurement process. When one vehicle overtakes the other, this event is detected and used as a synchronization signal to switch which vehicle's distance measurement is active. The feedback loop ensures accurate coordination without complex communication systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicles themselves provide the synchronization mechanism through their relative motion and overtaking events. The physical interaction of overtaking serves as a natural coordination signal, eliminating the need for external control systems or complex communication protocols between the vehicles.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
It is described a system for measuring the length of a road section, comprising two on-board devices installed on board respective vehicles. Each on-board device comprises an overtaking sensor providing information indicative of any overtaking between the vehicle on board of which it is installed and the other vehicle, a traveled distance meter and a processing unit. When it detects that the vehicle has overtaken the other vehicle on the basis of the information provided by the overtaking sensor, the processing unit enable a measurement of the distance that the vehicle is traveling along the road section by the traveled distance meter. When it detects instead that the vehicle has been overtaken by the other vehicle on the basis of the information provided by the overtaking sensor, the processing unit disables the measurement of the distance that the vehicle is traveling along the road section by the traveled distance meter.