Roadway Marking Control System for Automated Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current roadway maintenance striping technologies are inefficient and labor-intensive, requiring manual operation, prone to errors, and unsafe for operators, as they rely on visual alignment and manual control to apply new markings over pre-existing marks, especially in conditions where marks are worn or obliterated.
Innovation Solution
A machine vision-based control system that automatically aligns and dispenses roadway marking material, including reflective components, directly over pre-existing marks, using cameras and sensors to correct for optical distortions and dynamically calibrate the dispensing process, reducing the need for manual labor and improving accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual operation and visual alignment are used to apply new markings over pre-existing marks, then the equipment is simple and easy to operate, but the process is labor-intensive, prone to errors, and unsafe for operators
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual alignment and mechanical positioning with an automated machine vision system using cameras and image processing algorithms. The system captures images of pre-existing marks, processes them to determine mark locations and orientations, and automatically controls the dispensing mechanism to apply new markings with high precision, eliminating manual operation errors and improving alignment accuracy.
2Manufacturing precision
If machine vision technology is used to automatically align and dispense marking material, then alignment precision and dispensing accuracy are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an image processing algorithm as an intermediary between the camera system and the dispensing mechanism. The algorithm processes captured images to extract mark location, orientation, and pattern information, then translates this into control signals for the dispensing system. This intermediary layer simplifies the overall control architecture while achieving high alignment precision, managing device complexity through modular software design.
3Measurement precision
If the system dynamically calibrates and corrects for optical distortions in real-time, then measurement precision and dispensing accuracy are improved, but the processing time and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary calibration of the camera system to characterize and store distortion parameters before actual marking operations. By pre-computing and storing correction algorithms and lookup tables for optical distortions, the system eliminates the need for real-time complex calculations during marking operations, thus improving measurement precision while minimizing processing time losses during actual work.
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A control system for positioning a marker over a pre-existing roadway surface mark. The control system has an electromagnetic radiation source attached to the marker for producing a mark pattern on the roadway surface. An imager permits the control system to image both the pre-existing roadway surface mark and the mark pattern produced by the electromagnetic radiation source. A computer is responsive to the imager for producing an error signal based upon the location difference between (a) the image of the pre-existing roadway surface mark and (b) the image of the mark pattern produced by the electromagnetic radiation source. An actuator is responsive to the error signal for positioning the marker over the pre-existing roadway mark.