Sliding Camera Arm Guide for Rearview Obstacle Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Classic rearview mirrors in vehicles face issues with high wind resistance, visibility obstruction by external factors like rain and dirt, and mechanical loading, while digital camera arms can block the driver's view and are prone to mechanical damage.
Innovation Solution
A camera arm system that slides along a guide from the vehicle's roof to its lateral surface, changing its orientation to minimize obstruction and protect the camera from mechanical impacts, using a cycloidal path and a puller mechanism to maintain a horizontal position, with a control cam and latch for secure positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a digital camera arm is mounted on the outside of the vehicle, then the classic mirror principle can be replaced and additional intelligent functions can be implemented, but the camera arm blocks the driver's view and is subjected to mechanical loading
Solution Approach 1:
The camera arm is made dynamically movable along a guide extending from the lateral surface to the roof surface of the vehicle. The arm can transition between a working position (extending laterally for camera function) and a retracted position (on the roof surface to avoid obstacles), allowing it to adapt between providing intelligent functions and avoiding mechanical damage
Solution Approach 2:
The camera arm system is divided into separable components: the camera unit, the movable arm, and the guide structure. This segmentation allows the camera arm to be independently positioned and retracted along the guide, enabling it to separate from vulnerable positions when obstacles are detected
2Reliability
If the camera arm is positioned to avoid mechanical influences, then protection from mechanical loading is improved, but the camera may not maintain optimal positioning for recording
Solution Approach 1:
A sensor system detects obstacles in the path of the camera arm and provides feedback to a control unit. The control unit processes this information and actuates the camera arm to move to a safe position along the guide, ensuring the camera maintains optimal positioning when no obstacles are present while providing protection when obstacles are detected
Solution Approach 2:
The camera arm's position is dynamically adjusted based on real-time obstacle detection. The system transitions between fixed functional positions and protective retracted positions, maintaining manufacturing precision in the working position while achieving reliability in the protected position
Data Source
AI summary
An obstacle avoidance system for a camera arm configured to observe traffic to the rear of a vehicle, the vehicle having bodywork, includes: the camera arm having a camera; and a guide configured so as to extend from a lateral surface of the bodywork of the vehicle to a roof surface of the bodywork of the vehicle. The camera arm is arranged on the guide so as to be slidable along the guide back and forth between a position of rest on the roof surface and a working position on the lateral surface.