Robotic Road Maintenance Modules With Optical-Guided Material Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current road maintenance processes face challenges such as safety risks for workers, ergonomic issues, inefficiencies, high labor requirements, equipment limitations, material waste, quality inconsistencies, environmental impact, and labor shortages due to the manual nature of the work.
Innovation Solution
A robotic maintenance vehicle (RMV) equipped with a vehicle platform, control system, multi-axis robot, optical system, and location translator, capable of automating road maintenance tasks using interchangeable modules for tasks like cone setting, sealing, and painting, reducing human labor and improving efficiency and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual labor is used for road maintenance tasks, then workers can perform tasks with flexibility and adaptability, but worker safety is compromised due to exposure to traffic and hazardous conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with an automated robotic system equipped with specialized tools. The robotic maintenance vehicle performs crack sealing, cone setting, and line painting tasks that were traditionally done manually, thereby eliminating worker exposure to hazardous road conditions while maintaining task execution capability
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system is designed to autonomously perform maintenance tasks without continuous human intervention. The vehicle navigates, identifies targets through optical systems, and executes maintenance operations independently, with humans providing only high-level oversight and module selection
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple dedicated equipment vehicles are used for different maintenance tasks, then task specialization is improved, but equipment complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic maintenance vehicle is designed as a universal platform capable of performing multiple different maintenance tasks through interchangeable modules. The same vehicle base can be equipped with crack sealing modules, cone setting modules, line painting modules, or other specialized attachments, eliminating the need for multiple dedicated vehicles
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance system is divided into modular functional units that can be independently selected and attached to the vehicle platform. Each module represents a discrete task capability (e.g., sealing, marking, coning) that can be combined with the vehicle in different configurations based on specific maintenance needs
3Loss of substance
If manual material application is used for road maintenance, then material placement can be adjusted based on worker judgment, but material usage efficiency decreases leading to waste or suboptimal coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system incorporates optical sensors and detection systems that scan the road surface to identify cracks, potholes, and other features requiring maintenance. This feedback mechanism allows the system to precisely locate and measure target areas, enabling accurate material application only where needed and in the exact quantities required
Solution Approach 2:
Manual material application by workers is replaced with automated dispensing mechanisms controlled by the robotic system. The automated systems deliver sealant, paint, or other materials with precise control over flow rate, placement location, and coverage area, eliminating the inefficiencies of manual application
4Productivity
If manual road maintenance operations are performed, then equipment cost is reduced, but productivity and efficiency decrease due to time spent on setup, zone control, and manual operations
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system performs detection and target identification operations before material application or maintenance tasks. The optical scanning and feature detection capabilities allow the vehicle to pre-locate all required maintenance spots, plan the optimal operation sequence, and prepare for efficient execution without time-consuming manual assessment during the maintenance process
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functions that were previously performed by separate equipment and personnel are merged into a single integrated robotic vehicle. The system combines navigation, detection, target identification, material dispensing, and tool operation in one platform, eliminating the need for separate setup operations and coordinating multiple specialized vehicles
Data Source
AI summary
The robotic maintenance vehicle (RMV) has a propulsion system, a control system, an electrical power source, a maintenance module, a multi-axis robot, an optical system, and a location translator. The maintenance module is configured to hold different kinds of road maintenance materials. The multi-axis robot is configured to convey the road maintenance material from either the maintenance module to the road, the road to the maintenance module, or both. The optical system and the location translator are configured to be controlled by the control system and operate in conjunction to instruct the multi-axis robot where to pick up and/or place the road maintenance material. The multi-axis robot is configured to be selectively coupled to a distal arm tool.