Weapon Posturing Mechanism for Sensor Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) face challenges in adjusting the perceived threat level of their weapon and sensor suite to match varying hostility levels in different operational environments, such as peacekeeping or law enforcement missions, where the weapon may be viewed as a hostile threat by civilians.
Innovation Solution
A motor-based movement mechanism with a positioner gear plate and electronic control system allows the weapon to pivot between aligned and rotated postures relative to the sensor system, enabling safe positioning of the weapon to reduce perceived threat and prevent accidental firing at civilians, using a motor assembly and positioner gear plate with radially arranged teeth to change the weapon's posture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the weapon is aligned with the sensor system line of sight for combat readiness, then the weapon's operational effectiveness is improved, but the perceived threat level to civilians increases
Solution Approach 1:
The weapon mount is made dynamically adjustable between different postures (aligned and rotated positions) rather than being fixed. This allows the system to adapt its configuration based on operational context, switching from combat-ready alignment to lower-threat rotated positions during peacekeeping or law enforcement missions, thereby resolving the contradiction between operational effectiveness and perceived threat level
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the weapon is rotated away from the sensor system line of sight to reduce threat perception, then the perceived threat level to civilians is reduced, but the weapon's operational readiness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The weapon mount provides dynamic reconfigurability, allowing rapid transition between rotated (low-threat) and aligned (combat-ready) positions. This ensures that operational readiness is maintained even when the weapon is positioned in a rotated posture, as the system can quickly realign when combat conditions arise
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures multiple ready positions including both aligned and rotated postures. During non-combat missions, the weapon is preliminarily positioned in a rotated posture to reduce threat perception, while remaining capable of rapid realignment to combat positions, thus maintaining operational readiness without requiring constant alignment
3Reliability
If the weapon is left in a fixed aligned position, then the weapon's operational readiness is maintained, but the risk of accidental firing at civilians increases
Solution Approach 1:
The weapon mount transitions from a fixed aligned position to a dynamically adjustable system that can rotate to alternative postures. This dynamic capability allows the weapon to be positioned away from the sensor line of sight during non-combat operations, reducing the risk of accidental firing while maintaining the ability to quickly realign for combat
Solution Approach 2:
The movable weapon mount acts as an intermediary mechanism between the weapon and the sensor system. By introducing this intermediate degree of freedom, the system can decouple the weapon's firing axis from the sensor line of sight, allowing the weapon to be positioned in rotated postures that reduce accidental firing risk while maintaining operational capability
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
The solution effectively reduces the perceived threat during non-combat missions by safely positioning the weapon, preventing accidental firing at civilians and protecting the sensor system, while maintaining operational readiness.
Implementation Method 1
the movement mechanism comprises a motor assembly and a positioner gear plate that comprises a plurality of radially arranged teeth, and wherein the motor assembly engages the teeth of the positioner gear plate to rotate the gear plate into positions corresponding to at least the first and second configurations
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly for changing the posture of a weapon coupled to a sensor system comprises a weapon mount configured to support a weapon. The assembly further comprises a movement mechanism coupled between the weapon mount and the sensor system. The movement mechanism is movable between a first configuration in which a boresight or barrel of the weapon is aligned with a first axis of a line of sight of the sensor system and a second configuration in which the barrel of the weapon is disposed along a second axis rotated with respect to the first axis such that the weapon is no longer pointed in the same direction as the sensor.