Robotic Brake Bleeding Control via Sensor Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated systems for bleeding air brakes face challenges in accurately locating and actuating the brake lever due to variations in vehicle designs, leading to detection and control errors, which can result in incomplete bleeding and increased time and resource consumption.
Innovation Solution
A robotic control system equipped with an imaging sensor, encoder, and processors that use closed-loop feedback to generate and adjust a motion trajectory for a robotic arm to precisely locate and actuate the brake lever, reducing errors through continuous perception and displacement feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If an automated system is used to bleed air brakes, then safety risks and operational costs are reduced, but reliability and precision of brake lever actuation deteriorate due to vehicle design variations
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs imaging sensors to continuously detect the brake lever position and provides feedback to the control system. The control system adjusts the robotic arm's motion in real-time based on this feedback, enabling closed-loop control that compensates for vehicle design variations and ensures reliable brake lever actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamic motion trajectories that can be adjusted in real-time based on detected brake lever position and vehicle-specific characteristics. The robotic arm's speed, position, and force application are dynamically modified during operation to adapt to different vehicle designs and ensure successful brake bleeding.
2Device complexity
If a fixed motion trajectory is used for the robotic arm, then control simplicity is maintained, but detection and control errors increase due to inability to adapt to brake lever position variations
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging sensor continuously monitors the brake lever position and provides feedback to the control system. This feedback enables real-time adjustment of the motion trajectory, allowing the system to maintain high detection precision without requiring overly complex pre-programmed paths for every possible scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own imaging sensor to automatically detect and locate the brake lever position, eliminating the need for external calibration or manual positioning. The control system self-adjusts the motion trajectory based on the detected position, reducing the need for complex external setup procedures.
3Productivity
If the robotic arm moves quickly to reduce operation time, then productivity increases, but control precision and accuracy of brake lever actuation decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic speed adjustment during the robotic arm's motion. The arm moves quickly during transit phases but automatically reduces speed when approaching the brake lever and during actuation phases. This dynamic speed control allows the system to maintain high overall productivity while ensuring precise brake lever actuation when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging sensor continuously tracks the brake lever position throughout the robotic arm's motion, providing continuous feedback that enables precise control even during high-speed operation. This continuous monitoring ensures that speed increases do not compromise actuation precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a machine assembly, an imaging sensor, an encoder, and one or more processors. The machine assembly is movable to actuate a brake lever of a vehicle in order to open a valve of an air brake system of the vehicle. The imaging sensor acquires perception information of a working environment that includes the brake lever. The encoder detects a displaced position of the machine assembly relative to a reference position of the machine assembly. The one or more processors detect a position of the brake lever relative to the machine assembly based on the acquired perception information and the detected displacement of the arm. The one or more processors generate a motion trajectory for the machine assembly that provides a path to the brake lever. The one or more processors drive movement of the machine assembly along the motion trajectory towards the brake lever.