UAV Hovering Traffic Control System for Vehicle Speed Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing traffic control methods, such as speed bumps, often fail to effectively slow vehicles without jostling drivers or damaging vehicles, and may not provide adequate safety for pedestrians and drivers, especially at specific spatial locations like railroad crossings or pedestrian crosswalks.
Innovation Solution
A traffic control system utilizing an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) that hovers above the roadway to alert drivers to slow down by comparing vehicle speed or distance to predefined criteria, avoiding physical contact and thus minimizing damage, and can be used at various spatial locations like railroad crossings or pedestrian crosswalks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If speed bumps are used to slow vehicles, then vehicle speed is reduced at the defined spatial location, but the driver and passengers are jostled and the vehicle may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical speed bump system with an optical/electronic monitoring and alert system. The controller detects vehicle speed using sensors and activates visual or audible alerts to encourage drivers to slow down, eliminating the need for physical speed bumps that cause vehicle damage and passenger discomfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary alerting mechanism between the vehicle and the spatial location. Instead of direct physical interaction with speed bumps, the system uses intermediate signals (visual/audible alerts) to communicate speed violations to drivers, allowing them to self-correct their behavior without physical impact.
2Reliability
If traditional traffic control signage is used, then drivers are informed of speed requirements, but driver adherence is insufficient to ensure safety
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback loop where sensors continuously monitor vehicle speed, the controller compares the measured speed against predefined limits, and alert mechanisms provide real-time feedback to drivers when speed violations occur. This closed-loop system significantly improves driver adherence compared to static signage alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables drivers to self-regulate their speed based on real-time feedback from the alert mechanisms. Rather than relying solely on external enforcement or passive signage, drivers actively adjust their behavior in response to the system's alerts, making the traffic control more effective.
3Speed
If speed bumps are deployed to control vehicle behavior, then vehicle speed is reduced, but the system is costly to install and maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive mechanical speed bump infrastructure with an electronic monitoring and alerting system. The sensor-controller-alert architecture eliminates the need for physical road modifications, reducing both installation and ongoing maintenance costs while achieving the same speed control objective.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic traffic control system can be applied at multiple spatial locations with different speed requirements by simply reconfiguring the controller parameters and alert messages. This multi-functional capability eliminates the need for custom-built speed bumps at each location, reducing overall system cost.
Data Source
AI summary
A traffic control system, a controller and an associated method are provided to direct a vehicle to slow or, in some instances, stop at a defined spatial location along the roadway. In the context of a controller, the controller includes at least one processor and memory including computer program code with the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the controller to receive information indicative of at least one characteristic of the behavior of the vehicle as the vehicle approaches a defined location. Based on the information, the controller is caused to compare the behavior of the vehicle to a defined criterion and, in response, to cause an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) to maintain a hovering position in which the UAV hovers above the roadway so as to be within the path of travel of the vehicle on the roadway.