Ship Control Lever With Haptic Feedback For Safe Propulsion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ship control systems lack direct feedback to operators about unsafe or inefficient operations, leading to potential safety issues and suboptimal performance, as they rely on mechanical or electronic levers that do not clearly indicate when speed and direction settings exceed safe or optimal limits, causing confusion and inefficient use of resources.
Innovation Solution
A control system with a lever that provides force feedback to the operator, using an algorithm to determine safe and optimal operational limits for propulsion units, and applying haptic feedback to indicate when requested operations are unsafe or inefficient, including strong continuous forces or vibrations to guide the operator back to safe boundaries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the control system clips control signals to safe limits, then safety is improved, but the operator becomes confused and misunderstands the system response
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements haptic feedback through the lever to communicate system state and limit conditions to the operator. When the propulsion unit approaches or exceeds safe operational limits, the force feedback mechanism applies resistive force to the lever, providing tactile warning to the operator. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining safety through signal clipping while simultaneously informing the operator of the limiting action through haptic cues, eliminating confusion about system response.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs visual feedback through color changes on the lever or control interface to indicate different operational states. The lever may change color (e.g., from green to yellow to red) as the propulsion unit approaches unsafe limits, providing continuous visual information to the operator. This complements the haptic feedback and ensures the operator is fully aware of the system's clipping actions while maintaining safety.
2Device complexity
If the operator is not made aware of inefficient operations, then the control system remains simple, but fuel efficiency and emissions deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The haptic feedback mechanism provides real-time tactile cues to the operator when the propulsion unit operates in inefficient conditions, such as suboptimal propeller slip or unfavorable pitch-speed combinations. The force feedback intensity varies to indicate efficiency levels, guiding the operator toward optimal operating parameters. This maintains relative system simplicity while significantly improving fuel efficiency and reducing energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system automatically monitors operational parameters and provides guidance feedback without requiring complex operator knowledge of optimal physical parameters. The system essentially teaches itself to the operator through intuitive haptic cues, allowing the operator to learn efficient operation patterns without extensive training or complex system configuration.
3Productivity
If the control system provides comprehensive feedback, then operational efficiency improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-channel feedback system combining haptic feedback through the lever with visual feedback through color changes. The haptic feedback provides continuous tactile information about safety limits and efficiency conditions, while visual elements provide additional state information. This comprehensive feedback approach significantly improves operational efficiency while maintaining manageable system complexity through the use of intuitive, human-sensory-based communication channels rather than complex interfaces.
Data Source
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AI summary
The control system comprises at least one propulsion unit, a lever (200) by which an operator controls the speed and the direction of the at least one propulsion unit (100), a control circuit (300) controlling the speed and the direction of the at least one propulsion unit (100) based on the control signals received from the lever (200), and a force feedback (220) acting on the lever (200). The system comprises further an algorithm (310) receiving as input signals measured process values (M1) relating to operational parameters of the ship and the at least one propulsion unit (100). The control circuit (300) controls the force feedback (220) by comparing the requested operation received from the lever (200) with safe and/or optimal limits received from the algorithm (310) in order to transfer haptic information through the lever (200) to the operator indicating that the requested operation is beyond safe and/or optimal operational limits of the at least one propulsion unit (100).