Trailer Load Shift Simulation Using Center-of-Mass Risk Scoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous trucks with improperly loaded trailers experience load shifting, leading to unbalanced cargo distribution, which can cause vehicular accidents and cargo loss due to dynamics and kinematics behavior on the road.
Innovation Solution
A system using sensors to identify package locations and weights, calculate the center of mass, determine load concentration, and generate a probability score for potential incidents based on route information, providing preemptive parameters or alternate routes to prevent accidents and cargo loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cargo is loaded without proper monitoring, then loading speed is improved, but load balance and safety deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of load balance before cargo is loaded by calculating the center of mass based on pre-planned cargo positions and weights. This allows the system to identify potential loading issues in advance and generate preemptive parameters or alternate routes before the actual loading occurs, ensuring load balance is maintained without slowing down the loading process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors cargo position and weight during loading and provides feedback by calculating real-time center of mass and comparing it against safety thresholds. When imbalances are detected, the system generates alerts and preemptive parameters to correct the loading pattern, maintaining both speed and safety through active feedback control.
2Device complexity
If no load monitoring system is implemented, then device complexity is reduced, but safety and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the cargo loading process to self-monitor and self-assess by automatically calculating center of mass, detecting load balance status, and generating preemptive parameters without requiring external manual inspection. The system serves itself by using sensors and processors to continuously evaluate loading conditions and provide real-time corrections, improving safety without proportionally increasing operational complexity.
3Productivity
If route is fixed without considering load conditions, then routing efficiency is improved, but safety deteriorates due to unbalanced load dynamics
Solution Approach 1:
The system transforms the fixed route into a dynamic routing approach by continuously adjusting the planned route based on real-time load balance conditions. When the center of mass indicates potential instability, the system generates alternate routes that account for vehicle dynamics and kinematics constraints, ensuring safe transportation while maintaining routing efficiency through adaptive rather than static route planning.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes at least one memory and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory. The at least one processor is configured to: (i) based upon sensor data, identify a respective location of each package of a plurality of packages loaded in a cargo area of a trailer; (ii) receive dimensions and weight data corresponding to each package of the plurality of packages; (iii) determine a center of mass of the cargo area loaded with the plurality of packages; (iv) determine a type of load concentration based upon the respective location and the weight data of each package; and (v) based at least in part upon the type of load concentration, based at least in part upon route information, and based at least in part upon the center of mass, generate a probability score of an undesired incident during transport of the plurality of packages.