Transport Vehicle Synchronization via Start Signal
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Solution Overview
Problem
In transport systems with multiple vehicles, a temporal delay in the start of subsequent vehicles relative to preceding vehicles leads to increased inter-vehicle distance, reducing transport efficiency and potentially causing collisions.
Innovation Solution
Each transport vehicle includes a distance detecting portion, a signal transmitting portion, and a signal receiving portion, allowing them to synchronize their start times by transmitting and receiving a start signal when the preceding vehicle begins to travel, and adjusting speed based on detected distance to maintain a safe inter-vehicle distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the subsequent transport vehicle waits for the light range sensor to detect an appropriate inter-vehicle distance before starting to travel, then collision prevention is ensured, but the travel start of the subsequent vehicle is delayed, increasing the inter-vehicle distance more than necessary and reducing transport efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The preceding transport vehicle transmits a start signal before actually starting to travel. The subsequent vehicle receives this signal in advance and prepares to start, reducing the temporal difference between vehicle starts. This preliminary signaling action allows the subsequent vehicle to start immediately when the preceding vehicle moves, minimizing unnecessary delays while maintaining collision prevention through the light range sensor's continued monitoring of inter-vehicle distance
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the light range sensor to continuously detect inter-vehicle distance and provides feedback to the control unit. When the detected distance exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control unit transmits a start signal to the subsequent vehicle. This feedback mechanism ensures that the subsequent vehicle starts at the optimal moment - immediately after the preceding vehicle creates sufficient space - thereby maximizing transport efficiency while preventing collisions
2Quantity of substance
If multiple transport vehicles travel in tandem on the travel path, then transport capacity is increased, but the delay in travel start of each subsequent vehicle accumulates, further reducing the number of vehicles that can fit on the path and deteriorating overall transport efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
Each preceding vehicle in the tandem configuration transmits a start signal to its immediate successor before starting to travel. This preliminary signaling cascades through the fleet, allowing each subsequent vehicle to prepare and start simultaneously with its predecessor. By eliminating the cumulative delay that would otherwise occur in multi-vehicle tandems, the system maximizes the number of vehicles that can maintain safe following distances on the travel path, thereby improving overall transport efficiency while maintaining high vehicle density
Data Source
AI summary
A transport system includes a plurality of transport vehicles. Each transport vehicle includes: a distance detecting portion configured to detect a distance to a preceding transport vehicle, which is another transport vehicle traveling in front of the corresponding transport vehicle; a signal transmitting portion for transmitting a start signal to a subsequent transport vehicle, which is another transport vehicle traveling behind the corresponding transport vehicle; and a signal receiving portion for receiving the start signal that is transmitted from the preceding transport vehicle. Each transport vehicle is configured to transmit, when starting to travel, the start signal using the signal transmitting portion, to start to travel upon receiving the start signal from the preceding transport vehicle using the signal receiving portion, and to stop when the distance to the preceding transport vehicle that is detected by the distance detecting portion is equal to or smaller than a set distance.