Lane Keeping System dynamic calibration device

What it does

Invention eliminates the disadvantages of the method used so far, such as the inability to perform calibration during fog, night, precipitation and in the case of bad quality lane marking. Other benefits are reduction of repair cost, time and energy savings.

Your inspiration

I discovered the imperfections in servicing of modern motor vehicles equipped LKS. The system is currently offered as an optional equipment on motor vehicles. In 2022 the situation in the EU will change, as Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 will enter into force. One of the requirements of the new legislation is to equip all new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles with LKS. The result of the changes will be the appearance on the market of more vehicles equipped with the LKS, which will result in an increased demand for maintenance services and the prevalence of the problem.

How it works

The operation of the invention is based on imitating the conditions of the vehicle moving along a highway without leaving the car service. This is done by setting the calibration mats in motion via the drive of the motor vehicle. The movement of the calibration mats is consistent with the direction of travel of the calibrated car. The calibration procedure is started with the use of a diagnostic device connected to the vehicle's on-board computer. After running the LKS calibration procedure it is needed to drive the vehicle at the speed specified by the vehicle manufacturer. During calibration, the wheels of the vehicle are on rollers connected to each other by a variable length drivetrain and to the drums on which the calibration mats with lines are scrolled. These lines reflect the road markings painted on the road. The drive is continued until the message about correctly performed system calibration appears - usually several minutes.

Design process

The key problem that I had to solve was to create a universal stand for all passenger cars available on the market. For this, I had to define the requirements that such a position had to meet. At the very beginning, I collected information about the dimensions of the cars. The basic parameter was the wheelbase of vehicles belonging to various segments. Changing the distance between the front and rear rollers by means of a transmission transmitting drive from the front axle to the rear axle (or vice versa) allows for calibration regardless of whether the vehicle is a compact city car or a long premium sedan. Determining the diameters of the rollers and their distances between them allowed to obtain negligible differences in the case of wheels of extremely different sizes. The following step was to design the drive system with the selection of appropriate gear ratios so that the rotational speed of the rollers on which the vehicle moves corresponded to the linear speed of the calibration mats. The final part of the design was to draw a scheme of the stand, and then create a 3D model in a CAD program based on the collected data and calculations as well as ideas for solving problems with the drive transmission.

How it is different

The presented invention combines the features of both types of calibration – static and dynamic. Static calibration consists in placing dedicated special mats around the vehicle in designated places, which allow for the creation of a model image recorded by the cameras. In the case of dynamic calibration, it is required to drive several minutes at a constant speed on an expressway with road surface markings. The dynamic calibration cannot be performed in the event of bad weather conditions, insufficient illumination of the road or bad condition of road surface markings. Vehicle brands using the dynamic calibration include, inter alia, BMW, Volvo, Ford, Opel. The type of calibration depends on the design solutions of the manufacturer of vehicle. The advantages of the presented solution also include the repeatability of driving conditions, reduction of servicing costs and the time needed to carry it out, energy savings and reduction of the carbon footprint.

Future plans

The further development of my project would be possible by building a prototype stand, which would be associated with high costs, finding a place for the project implementation and appropriate technological facilities. In the future, I would like to be able to develop and fulfill professionally through the implementation of scientific projects and solving engineering problems. The greatest satisfaction with the work performed would be the possibility of creating new solutions and the sense of influence on improving the quality of life of the society.

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