Unmanned Vehicle Safety Controller for Navigation Error Shutdown
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned vehicles pose safety risks due to potential malfunctions in navigation data, especially in environments with unreliable communication networks, where errors in navigation commands can lead to dangerous situations or vehicle damage.
Innovation Solution
An unmanned vehicle system comprising a data interface, a drive controller, and a safety controller independent of the drive controller, which analyzes navigation data for errors and deactivates the drive function by breaking the power circuit to prevent unsafe operation, ensuring safe operation even when the drive controller malfunctions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single drive controller is used to simplify the system, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates because the controller cannot independently detect and respond to navigation data errors
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into two independent controllers: a drive controller for normal operation and a safety controller for error detection and emergency response. This segmentation allows each controller to have specialized functions, improving reliability without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety controller acts as an intermediary between the navigation data interface and the drive controller. It monitors navigation data for errors and can deactivate the drive controller when errors are detected, providing a safety layer without requiring complete system redesign.
2Device complexity
If the safety controller is integrated with the drive controller, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates because the safety controller becomes dependent on drive controller output
Solution Approach 1:
The controllers are segmented into separate independent units. The safety controller has its own processing capabilities and directly accesses navigation data, eliminating dependency on the drive controller and ensuring independent safety monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety controller is designed with localized error detection capabilities specific to its safety function. It independently analyzes navigation data for errors without relying on the drive controller's interpretation, ensuring reliable independent monitoring.
3Productivity
If the vehicle continues operation without independent safety monitoring, then productivity is maintained, but harmful factors increase due to potential injury from undetected navigation errors
Solution Approach 1:
The safety controller performs preliminary error detection on navigation data before the drive controller executes commands. By identifying errors in advance, the system prevents harmful actions while maintaining normal operation during error-free conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety controller continuously monitors navigation data and provides feedback by deactivating the drive controller when errors are detected. This feedback mechanism ensures that harmful actions are prevented while allowing continuous productive operation during normal conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
An unmanned vehicle and methods and systems for unmanned vehicles are provided. The unmanned vehicle includes a data interface, adapted to receive navigation data; a drive controller, configured to drive the vehicle according to the navigation data; and a safety controller, independent of the drive controller, configured to analyse at least part of the navigation data and deactivate a drive function of the drive controller upon determining an error in the navigation data.