Snow Groomer Automated Tool Control via GPS Target Maps
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Solution Overview
Problem
The quality of ski slope and snowpark surface preparation is heavily dependent on the skill and experience of snow groomer vehicle operators, leading to non-homogeneous conditions and inefficiencies in processing steps.
Innovation Solution
A snow groomer vehicle equipped with a frame, a tool connected via an actuator assembly, a satellite navigation device, and a control system that uses a target map to autonomously determine the tool's configuration and position, ensuring uniform snowpack processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual control by operators is used, then flexibility in handling different snow conditions is maintained, but the quality and uniformity of snowpack processing becomes dependent on operator skill and experience
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the snow groomer vehicle to automatically control its own processing tools (blade, tiller, finisher) based on GPS positioning and pre-stored target maps, eliminating the need for continuous manual intervention while maintaining consistent processing quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control with an automated control system that uses GPS satellite navigation, digital target maps, and electronic actuators to position and orient processing tools, substituting human operators with an automated feedback-controlled system
2Reliability
If automated control system is implemented, then repeatability and uniformity of snowpack processing are improved, but the device complexity and initial setup requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously compares the actual position of the snow groomer vehicle (obtained via GPS) with the target position from the stored map, and automatically adjusts the processing tools through actuators to maintain alignment with the desired snow surface configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The automated control system serves multiple functions: it controls the positioning of the vehicle along the slope, orientates the processing tools (blade, tiller, finisher), and adjusts their configurations based on the target map, eliminating the need for separate manual control systems
3Manufacturing precision
If operator skill level varies, then adaptability to different situations is maintained, but the homogeneity of processing quality across different operators decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The target map representing the desired snow surface configuration is pre-stored in the system before operation begins, allowing the automated control system to consistently reproduce the same processing quality regardless of which operator is controlling the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A snow groomer vehicle includes a frame, a tool connected to the frame through a front connecting device equipped with an actuator assembly operable to determine a relative position of the tool with respect to the frame, a satellite navigation device and a control system. The control system includes a processing unit and a memory device, containing a target map representing a desired surface to be obtained by processing the snowpack over a region. The processing unit determines a position and orientation of the frame from the data provided with satellite navigation device and determines a configuration of the tool as a function of the position and orientation of the frame and of the target map, so that the passage of the tool causes a removal of the snowpack that conforms the snowpack to the target map. The actuator assembly is operated so as to bring the tool into the determined configuration.