Underground Vehicle Route Envelope Visualization for Tunnel Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Monitoring and controlling multiple autonomously operating vehicles in large and complex underground worksites, such as mines, is challenging due to the complexity of the environment and the need for operators to prioritize and manage simultaneous driving situations effectively.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that generate route-point specific envelopes based on vehicle space requirements, visualizing these envelopes in a tunnel model to represent the planned route trace, allowing for proactive monitoring and control of vehicles, and providing operator attention indicators for critical route points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple vehicles are monitored simultaneously in complex underground worksites, then comprehensive monitoring coverage is improved, but operator complexity and difficulty of managing simultaneous situations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monitoring system by creating separate display areas for different types of information: route plan visualization, actual position tracking, envelope visualization, and operator attention indicators. This segmentation allows operators to monitor multiple vehicles simultaneously without being overwhelmed by unified complex data streams, as each vehicle's critical information is presented in dedicated segments of the interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by generating and displaying route plans and envelopes before vehicles execute their paths. Operator attention indicators are proactively generated based on predicted critical situations, allowing operators to prepare for potential issues before they occur. This preliminary visualization of planned routes and potential problems reduces the cognitive load during actual monitoring.
2Manufacturing precision
If detailed route information is provided for all vehicles, then route planning precision is improved, but information overload and difficulty of prioritizing critical situations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing detailed route information selectively rather than uniformly for all vehicles. Operator attention indicators are generated only for route points that require operator attention, while other routine route points are displayed with less prominence. This allows precise route planning information to be available when needed without creating constant information overload.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses visual differentiation through color changes and graphical indicators to prioritize information. Critical route points are highlighted with specific visual characteristics, while normal route points are displayed with standard visualization. This allows operators to quickly identify and prioritize critical situations based on visual cues rather than processing detailed text information for all route points.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an example aspect, there is provided a method, comprising the steps of obtaining route plan information indicative of a set of route points for a tunnel system of an underground worksite for at least partially autonomous driving of a vehicle, performing for at least some of route points in the set: detecting space information indicative of spaces required by the vehicle at associated route points, generating a set of envelopes on the basis of the space information, wherein an envelope is indicative of space required by the vehicle at an associated route point, and controlling visualization of the set of envelopes in a tunnel model to represent planned route trace of the vehicle when driving via the route points.