Electric Scooter Surface Detection for Sidewalk Operation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The use of electric scooters on pedestrian sidewalks poses safety concerns and obstructs pedestrian traffic, leading to rule violations and increased risk of accidents due to their silent operation and maneuverability.
Innovation Solution
A system on the electric scooter that includes sensors to detect surface patterns, using autocorrelation methods to analyze sound, acceleration, vibration, and distance data to determine if the scooter is on a prohibited surface, triggering a switch to stop the motor if it is, ensuring operation only on permitted surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If electric scooters are used on pedestrian sidewalks, then maneuverability and accessibility are improved, but safety and pedestrian traffic flow deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors surface characteristics using sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, sound sensors) and provides feedback to the control unit. When the feedback indicates a sidewalk surface, the control unit automatically adjusts the operating state to prevent harmful effects, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The electric scooter autonomously detects the surface type and regulates its own operation without external intervention. The vehicle self-adjusts by switching motor operation modes based on detected surface patterns, eliminating the need for manual user input while maintaining safety and maneuverability.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If electric scooters operate silently, then environmental friendliness is improved, but detectability by pedestrians deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses surface detection sensors as an intermediary to indirectly assess environmental conditions and adjust operation accordingly. By detecting surface type, the system infers location context and adjusts motor power and speed to balance environmental friendliness with pedestrian safety awareness.
3Reliability
If surface detection systems are added to electric scooters, then rule violation prevention is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it manages motor operation, processes sensor data for surface detection, determines geographic location context, and regulates operating state based on detected conditions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while improving rule compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines surface detection sensors, location determination units, and motor control functions into an integrated system. By merging these previously separate functions into a unified control architecture, the system achieves improved rule compliance without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
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
Prevents rule violations by ensuring the scooter operates only on allowed surfaces, reducing accident risks and maintaining pedestrian safety and traffic flow.
Implementation Method 1
obtaining a first output value from the measurement data by means of the autocorrelation method, obtaining a first sensor value as a result of applying the first output value and a first weight value to a first mathematical equation
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a method performed by the processor unit (17) in a system comprising a processor unit (17) that enables the control of the operating state according to the pattern of the surface on which an electric vehicle that being usable by the user for transportation by standing and comprising at most three wheels and at least one electric motor is driven.