Adaptive Wheelchair Guideway Angle for Road Crossing Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pedestrian crossing systems do not adequately reduce the burden on wheelchair users crossing roadways, as they often require significant directional changes, leading to longer crossing times and potential traffic obstruction.
Innovation Solution
A route control device that adjusts the angle of a guideway for wheelchair users based on the waiting time of vehicles, displaying the guideway diagonally to reduce the burden on wheelchair users while balancing waiting time and traffic flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional pedestrian crossing is used, then vehicles can stop and pedestrians can cross, but wheelchair users experience increased burden due to significant directional changes and longer crossing times
Solution Approach 1:
The guideway angle is made dynamic rather than fixed. The control unit adjusts the guideway angle in real-time based on the detected waiting time of vehicles, allowing the system to adapt to different traffic conditions and optimize both crossing ease and time efficiency for wheelchair users
2Ease of operation
If the guideway angle is adjusted to reduce directional change for wheelchair users, then crossing burden is reduced, but vehicle waiting time may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of guideway angle based on the detected waiting time parameter. By establishing a correspondence between waiting time and guideway angle, the system optimizes the balance between reducing wheelchair user burden and minimizing vehicle waiting time through parameter adjustment
3Ease of operation
If a fixed guideway angle is used, then the system is simple to implement, but it cannot optimize for both wheelchair user burden and traffic flow simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static fixed angle to a dynamic adjustable angle that responds to real-time traffic conditions. The control unit continuously monitors vehicle waiting time and adjusts the guideway angle accordingly, enabling simultaneous optimization of wheelchair user burden and traffic flow efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by detecting the waiting time of vehicles and using this information to adjust the guideway angle. This closed-loop control ensures that the guideway configuration continuously adapts to maintain optimal balance between accessibility and traffic efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A route control device includes a control unit that sets an angle of a guideway for guiding a wheelchair user with respect to a roadway in accordance with a length of a waiting time for which a vehicle traveling on the roadway is kept waiting, when the wheelchair user who is about to cross the roadway is detected, and performs a control of displaying a pedestrian crossing including the guideway on the roadway.