Wheel Hub Sensor Assembly for Lateral Surroundings Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle designs face challenges in integrating lateral sensors without compromising the vehicle's body design or external appearance, especially for applications in autonomous driving where safe operation and extensive functions are required.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a surroundings sensor within the wheel hub allows for the registration of the vehicle's surroundings without influencing the body design, using a wheel hub drive that includes a wheel carrier, wheel hub motor, and a sensor, such as a camera or radar, which is co-rotatable or rotationally fixed, providing a cost-effective and space-saving solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If lateral sensors are integrated into the vehicle body, then the vehicle can register its surroundings for autonomous driving functions, but the vehicle body design and external appearance are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is extracted from the vehicle body and relocated to the wheel hub assembly. This allows the sensor to be positioned on the vehicle without modifying the vehicle body design, as the sensor is now part of the wheel hub rather than the body structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor positioning moves from the vehicle body surface (2D integration) to the wheel hub assembly (3D spatial distribution around the wheel). This dimensional shift allows multiple sensor positions to be achieved without body modifications, utilizing the spatial volume around the wheel hub.
2Adaptability or versatility
If sensors are integrated into the vehicle body, then surroundings registration is enabled, but the integration complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel hub assembly serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the wheel, enables steering and suspension functions, and now also serves as a mounting platform for the sensor. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate body integration structures, reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor mounting function is merged with the existing wheel hub assembly structure. Rather than adding a separate mounting system to the vehicle body, the sensor is integrated into the wheel hub, combining multiple functions into a single assembly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If lateral sensors are installed on the vehicle body, then autonomous driving functions are enabled, but the classic vehicle appearance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is extracted from the visible vehicle body surfaces and relocated to the wheel hub area, which is less visually prominent. This maintains the classic vehicle appearance by removing visible modifications from the main body while still enabling autonomous driving functions.
4Productivity
If the sensor is co-rotatable with the wheel hub, then the sensor can register surroundings during wheel rotation, but the sensor mounting complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor mounting structure is merged with the wheel hub rotation mechanism. The sensor is positioned to rotate with the wheel hub, combining the sensor positioning function with the existing rotational movement, thereby enabling continuous surroundings registration without adding separate rotational actuation systems.
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly of a wheel hub on a wheel carrier for a vehicle, in which the wheel hub, on which at least one wheel of the vehicle is fastenable in a rotationally-fixed manner, is rotatably mounted via a wheel bearing on the wheel carrier, including at least one surroundings sensor at least partially arranged in the wheel hub, by which at least a part of the surroundings of the vehicle can be registered.