Skid-Steering Vehicle Autonomous Control System
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicle systems are ineffective for vehicles using skid-steering, as they fail to independently control the acceleration and deceleration of the right and left sides, leading to inefficiencies in navigation and control.
Innovation Solution
A control system that includes a power source, power transfer device, left and right drive motors, and monitoring units, coupled with inertial measurement units and GPS, to enable autonomous movement by controlling power output and propulsion device speeds differently on each side, allowing for independent control and correction of the vehicle's trajectory.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If autonomous control systems are designed for conventional vehicles with axles, then the right and left sides accelerate and decelerate in unison, but this approach is ineffective for skid-steering vehicles that require independent control of each side
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into separate control channels for the left and right propulsion devices. Each side has independent speed and acceleration control, allowing the system to adapt to skid-steering mechanisms while maintaining reliable autonomous navigation. The segmentation enables differential speed control without requiring a complete redesign of the autonomous navigation system.
2Measurement precision
If the vehicle uses skid-steering to independently control acceleration and deceleration of each side, then navigation precision can be improved, but the system complexity increases due to separate control requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the skid-steering control requirements with the autonomous navigation system by integrating differential speed control into the existing navigation algorithm. The control system combines GPS positioning, inertial measurement, and differential motor control into a unified autonomous navigation framework, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high navigation precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous control system is designed with multi-functionality to handle both conventional axle-based steering and skid-steering mechanisms. The control algorithm can operate in different modes depending on the vehicle type, making the system universal and adaptable without requiring separate dedicated systems for each steering mechanism.
3Reliability
If power output is controlled differently on each side for independent propulsion device control, then trajectory correction capability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system incorporates feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor the vehicle's actual position and speed, comparing it with the desired trajectory. The feedback loop adjusts power distribution to the left and right propulsion devices dynamically, correcting trajectory deviations while optimizing energy consumption by applying differential power only when and where needed to maintain the desired path.
Data Source
AI summary
A system configured to be mounted to a vehicle including a skid-based steering system. The system including a control unit for determining course correction to the vehicle during operation based on a navigation path received from a remote device and data associated with the movement of the vehicle collected by the system.