Wearable Gesture Control for Tracking Goods Handling Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Warehouse operations face challenges in productivity and labor efficiency due to the need for skilled operators to manually control goods handling vehicles like forklifts and pallet stackers, especially during labor shortages.
Innovation Solution
A wearable remote control device with a control interface, communication module, actuation interface, and tracking module that allows users to control and track the movement of goods handling vehicles using hand gestures and actuators, enabling remote operation and automatic path following.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual operation of goods handling vehicles is used, then skilled operators are required which reduces productivity during labor shortages, but remote control operation requires complex control systems and tracking modules
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operation with a wearable remote control device that uses gesture recognition and tracking modules. The control interface detects hand gestures and converts them into control signals, substituting the mechanical steering wheel and manual controls with sensor-based gesture detection, thereby enabling remote operation without requiring skilled operators on-site
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable remote control device acts as an intermediary between the operator and the goods handling vehicle. It includes a tracking module that determines the operator's position and a control interface that translates gestures into vehicle control commands, serving as a mediating system that enables remote operation while managing the complexity through modular design
2Ease of operation
If dedicated skilled operators are required for each goods handling vehicle, then labor costs increase during shortages, but remote control operation requires advanced tracking and gesture detection systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex manual control operations with gesture-based control. The control interface detects hand gestures through sensors and converts them into vehicle control commands, simplifying the operation to natural hand movements while the system handles the complexity of translation and execution automatically
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable remote control device includes integrated gesture recognition and tracking capabilities that automatically detect and process control commands without requiring additional equipment or complex setup. The system self-manages the tracking and gesture detection functions through integrated modules, reducing operational complexity
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
Enhances warehouse productivity by allowing single-user operation of goods handling vehicles, reducing labor dependency and improving safety through precise control and tracking functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a gesture sensing module configured for detecting a predetermined hand gesture performed by the user's hand
Implementation Method 2
the gesture sensing module comprises a gyroscope
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable remote control device 1 for controlling a movable equipment 10 includes a wearable carrier 2 adapted for being worn on a user's hand, a control interface 3 configured for converting user's input into instructions; a communication module 4 configured for sending the instructions receivable by the movable equipment 10, an actuation interface 5, and a tracking module 6 configured for being actuated by the actuation interface 5. The actuation interface 5 includes an actuation module 51 adapted for being actuated by the user's hand, and a gesture sensing module 52 configured for detecting a predetermined hand gesture. Upon the actuation module 51 is actuated, the actuation interface 5 provides a tracking signal 61 receivable by the movable equipment 10 for determining a traveling path with respect to movements of the wearable remote control device 1.