Seat Load Sensing for Personal Transport Steering Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current personal transport devices require mechanical actuation for activation and deactivation of the steering unit, which is bulky, increases weight, and necessitates frequent maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A personal transport device with load sensors to detect driver presence and weight, and an electronic command and control unit to control the steering unit via electrical, optical, magnetic, electromagnetic, or pneumatic interfaces, eliminating mechanical actuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the vehicle body is made lightweight to improve energy efficiency, then energy consumption is reduced, but structural strength and safety are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle body utilizes composite materials including carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) and aluminum alloys to achieve high strength-to-weight ratio. The composite structure provides both lightweight properties for energy efficiency and sufficient structural strength for safety requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle body is divided into multiple modular sections with different material compositions optimized for specific functional requirements. Critical structural areas use higher strength materials while non-critical areas use lighter materials, achieving overall weight reduction without compromising essential strength requirements.
2Speed
If the vehicle body is made compact to improve maneuverability, then turning radius is reduced, but passenger comfort and storage space are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle adopts a multi-level spatial configuration with vertically stacked seating arrangements and storage compartments. This three-dimensional space utilization allows the vehicle to maintain a compact horizontal footprint for maneuverability while providing adequate passenger space and storage capacity through vertical dimension exploitation.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle body incorporates expandable and adjustable structural elements that can dynamically adapt between compact configuration for maneuverability and expanded configuration for passenger comfort and storage. The adjustable seating and modular compartments allow space optimization based on operational requirements.
3Reliability
If advanced safety systems are added to improve collision protection, then safety performance is enhanced, but device complexity and cost are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple safety functions are integrated into unified systems to reduce overall complexity. The collision avoidance system combines sensors, processors, and actuators into a coordinated integrated safety platform that provides collision detection, avoidance, and mitigation functions through a single coordinated system rather than separate independent systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety systems incorporate self-diagnostic and self-adjusting capabilities that automatically monitor system status and adjust parameters without external intervention. The collision protection system includes self-calibrating sensors and automated response mechanisms that reduce the need for complex manual control systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
Personal transport device comprising a base (10) interposed between electrically motorized wheels (11) and commanded by a steering unit (15) and a support frame (20) integrally constrained to said base (10) and provided with a seat (21) and at least one load sensor (5) configured to detect the pressure exerted by the driver on the seat (21) and an electronic command and control unit (3) adapted to command the steering unit (15) on the basis of the signals received by the sensor (5), the command and control unit (3) being connected to the sensor (5) by means of first interface means (7) of the electrical and/or optical and/or magnetic and/or electromagnetic and/or mechanical and/or pneumatic and/or fluid dynamic type, and the command and control unit (3) being connected to the steering unit (15) by means of second interface means (12) of the electrical and/or optical and/or magnetic and/or electromagnetic type.