Road Surface Measurement Using Line Light Projection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for measuring road surface properties, such as smoothness and texture, require high-speed vehicle travel and rely on inertial platforms, limiting their applicability over short distances and preventing effective measurement at slower speeds or in transverse directions, and fail to adequately disperse water, leading to aquaplaning risks.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus that projects a line of light onto the carriageway, allowing measurements to be taken in multiple directions (parallel or oblique to the travel direction), enabling cross-correlation and data merging for improved signal-to-noise ratio and texture analysis, and estimates gradient changes without relying on inertial platforms, allowing operation at slower speeds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high-speed vehicle travel is used with inertial platforms to measure road surface smoothness, then measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity and requirement for high speed increase, limiting applicability over short distances and at slower speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the measurement function from the complex inertial platform system. By using a simple camera to capture road surface images and processing these images to extract smoothness parameters, the invention eliminates the need for accelerometers, inertial platforms, and high-speed travel requirements while maintaining measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical inertial measurement system with an optical imaging system. Instead of using physical sensors to detect road surface variations, the system uses a camera to capture images and processes these images to determine smoothness parameters, substituting mechanical measurement with optical detection and computational analysis
2Ease of operation
If a single line of light is projected parallel to the direction of travel, then the measurement process is simple, but the signal-to-noise ratio is insufficient for accurate texture analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple measurements taken at different orientations into a single comprehensive analysis. By projecting light lines in multiple directions (parallel and transverse to travel) and combining the resulting measurements, the system achieves both operational simplicity and high measurement precision for surface texture characterization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds an additional measurement dimension by introducing transverse light line projections perpendicular to the direction of travel. This complementary measurement direction provides independent texture information that, when combined with parallel measurements, significantly improves the signal-to-noise ratio and measurement accuracy
3Device complexity
If the apparatus can only measure in the direction of travel, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to measure transverse or oblique surface properties is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic measurement system where the light projection orientation can be varied. The apparatus can switch between projecting light lines parallel to the direction of travel and projecting them transverse or oblique to the direction of travel, allowing flexible adaptation to different measurement requirements without increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal measurement system capable of measuring road surface properties in multiple directions using the same apparatus. The single camera and light source configuration can measure both longitudinal smoothness (parallel to travel) and transverse texture (perpendicular to travel), eliminating the need for separate measurement systems for different orientations
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate measurement of road surface properties at various speeds, including walking speed, and effectively disperses water, reducing aquaplaning risks by providing high-resolution data sets and gradient estimates, while being more versatile and efficient than prior systems.
Implementation Method 1
a light source arranged to illuminate the carriageway by projecting a line of light onto the carriageway
Implementation Method 2
views the diffuse scatter from the surface with an optical detector
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~3c
Figure 4
AI summary
An apparatus for measuring surface properties of a carriageway or road, comprising a platform arranged to move over the carriageway, the platform carrying a light source arranged to illuminate the carriageway, and a detector arranged to receive light returning from the carriageway, characterised in that the light source projects a line of light onto the surface, the line of light being parallel to the direction of travel, and data representing light returning from the line of light is captured and stored. The displacement of the vehicle between two successive measurements is estimated from the cross-correlation of the two successively measured profiles.