Vehicle Fall Prevention Using Ground Distance Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems for preventing vehicles from falling into sinkholes do not effectively determine the danger posed by sinkholes, leading to unnecessary vehicle stops, as they fail to differentiate between sinkholes that pose a threat to vehicle operation and those that do not.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method using sensors to measure the distance to the ground, determine the size of the sinkhole, and assess whether to stop the vehicle based on the sinkhole's depth and area, incorporating reference data and considering vehicle speed and steering angle to predict potential fall times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle stops at every detected sinkhole to ensure safety, then the reliability of preventing vehicle falling is improved, but the productivity of vehicle operation deteriorates due to unnecessary stops
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of sinkhole evaluation from binary detection to quantitative measurement by determining depth and area values. This allows the system to adjust the stop decision based on actual sinkhole dimensions, stopping only when depth or area exceeds safe thresholds, thus preventing unnecessary stops while maintaining safety for dangerous sinkholes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of sinkhole characteristics (depth and area) before making the stop decision. By calculating these parameters in advance and comparing them against predetermined safety thresholds, the system determines whether stopping is necessary, avoiding unnecessary interruptions to vehicle operation.
2Reliability
If the vehicle stops at every detected sinkhole, then the safety of vehicle operation is improved, but the time efficiency deteriorates due to unnecessary stopping and braking
Solution Approach 1:
The system transforms the safety assessment from a simple presence/absence detection to a quantitative parameter-based evaluation using depth and area measurements. This enables the system to distinguish between hazardous sinkholes requiring stops and safe ones that can be traversed normally, thereby eliminating unnecessary time loss while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculation of sinkhole depth and area, and compares these values against predetermined thresholds before initiating any stopping action. This preliminary assessment ensures that stops are made only when truly necessary, preventing unnecessary time loss from redundant stopping and braking operations.
3Measurement precision
If the sensor mounting angle is increased to improve sinkhole detection accuracy, then the measurement precision of sinkhole depth is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the mounting parameter of the sensor from a standard angle to a specifically designed angle of two times or more greater than the reference angle. This parameter modification improves the sensor's ability to detect sinkhole depth and area accurately while maintaining a relatively simple single-sensor mounting configuration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents unnecessary vehicle stops by accurately determining the size and threat of sinkholes, allowing for informed decision-making to avoid sinkholes only when necessary, thereby enhancing road safety and reducing unnecessary braking.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor mounted on the vehicle to measure a distance to a ground
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and a method for preventing a vehicle from falling into a sinkhole are provided. The apparatus prevents the vehicle from being unnecessarily stopped by determining whether to stop the vehicle based on a size of the sinkhole while preventing the vehicle from falling into the sinkhole on a road. The apparatus includes a sensor that is mounted on the vehicle to measure a distance to a ground and a controller that determines a size of the sinkhole based on the distance to the ground and determines whether to stop the vehicle while preventing the vehicle from falling into the sinkhole on a road.