Technical Field
-
The present invention relates to a technique for calculating information for automatic operation of a construction machine.
Background Art
-
In recent years, "unmanned construction" to be performed by an unmanned construction machine has been put to practical use. The unmanned construction is roughly classified into a remote operation mode and an automatic operation mode. According to the remote operation mode, the construction machine is operated by a person standing at a position away from the construction machine and manipulating the wireless operation transmitter. According to the automatic operation mode, the construction machine is automatically operated by a computer executing a program in which a process for commanding a series of operations is incorporated.
-
Regarding automated construction by a construction machine, for example, it is proposed in Patent Literature 1 to make a hydraulic excavator automatically perform work corresponding to the entry of a truck with use of a method using so-called teaching data and a play back.
-
The subject of the technology, however, is limited to a particular construction machine. Specifically, the creation of a program for conventional automatic operation requires calculation based on various conditions and parameters which are specific to the construction machine, in order to make the construction machine to which the program is applied perform predetermined motions. Hence, even if a plurality of construction machines are of the same type, specifically, even if the member for achieving the work application (hereinafter, referred to as a "work member") is common to the construction machines, the calculation for creating a program is required for each of the construction machine. For example, even if there are a plurality of backhoes that are common to each other in terms of including a bucket, it is required to create a program for automatic operation for each of the backhoes based on manufacturers or specifications (bucket capacity, etc.).
-
Besides, the technique described in Patent Literature 1 requires complicated calculation of an angle and the like of each of a turning body, a boom, an arm, and a bucket as a control target in order to create a program.
Citation List
Patent Literature
-
Patent Literature 1:
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-183665
Summary of Invention
-
It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic operation information calculation system and an automatic operation information calculation method that allow automatic operation information to be easily calculated.
-
To achieve the above object, attention is focused on the point that the motion of a common work member included in the same type of construction machines can be utilized in common for respective automatic operations of a plurality of construction machines.
-
Provided is a system for calculating information for automatic operation of a construction machine, the system including an intermediate motion information calculation part. The construction machine includes a machine body, an intermediate mechanism connected to the machine body, and a work member attached to the intermediate mechanism. The work member is a member that performs a work motion for achieving a work application of the construction machine. The intermediate mechanism is interposed between the machine body and the work member and configured to move the work member with respect to the machine body. The intermediate motion information calculation part calculates intermediate motion information based on work motion information that is set for the work member. The work motion information includes a plurality of motion information elements, each of which includes an elapsed time, work member position information that is information on a position of a set point at the elapsed time, the set point being set in advance in the work member, and work member posture information that is information on a posture of the work member at the elapsed time. The work member position information is a three-dimensional coordinate in a coordinate system having a reference point that is set in advance in the machine body as an origin. The intermediate motion information calculation part calculates the intermediate motion information so as to match a position and a posture of the work member with the work member position information and the work member posture information of the motion information elements, respectively, at the elapsed time of each of the motion information elements.
-
Also provided is a method of calculating intermediate motion information for automatic operation of the construction machine, the method including a motion information setting step and an intermediate motion information calculation step. In the motion information setting step, work motion information on the motion of the work member is set, and in the intermediate motion information calculation step, intermediate motion information on the motion of the intermediate mechanism is calculated based on the work motion information.
Brief Description of Drawings
-
- FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an automatic operation information calculation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 2A is a side view showing a hydraulic excavator before excavating the ground.
- FIG. 2B is a side view showing the hydraulic excavator that is excavating the ground.
- FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a plurality of construction blocks into which an excavation target area of the hydraulic excavator is divided.
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a moving trajectory of a bucket of the hydraulic excavator during ground excavation.
- FIG. 5 is a table showing work motion information about the hydraulic excavator.
- FIG. 6A is a side view showing a set point that is set in the bucket and equipment posture information.
- FIG. 6B is a plan view showing a coordinate origin that is set in a machine body of the hydraulic excavator and a coordinate system based on the coordinate origin.
- FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of excavation along a boundary wall in a construction area.
- FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an automatic operation information calculation method according to the embodiment.
Detailed Description
-
The technology disclosed below involves attention to a work member of a construction machine. The work member is a part that directly executes purposed work, which is a main purpose of the construction machine. The motion of the work member, so-called behavior, is set, and the construction machine is controlled to make the work member perform the set motion. In a case where the construction machine is a hydraulic excavator, the work member is a bucket, the motion of which is set in advance, and an intermediate mechanism included in the hydraulic excavator is controlled so as to make the bucket perform the motion. The intermediate mechanism is a mechanism for moving the work member with respect to a machine body of the construction machine, and the hydraulic excavator includes a boom, an arm, and a plurality of hydraulic cylinders.
-
There have been developed automatic operation techniques for construction machines by many construction machine manufacturers. To make the construction machine perform specific work, control information, which is information on automatic operation, is generally calculated by analyzation of respective motions of the intermediate mechanism, the work member, and the main body, and each member is controlled according to the control information. The construction machine manufacturer, although being familiar with the configuration of the construction machine and capable of obtaining control information for achieving the intended operation, is not necessarily familiar with specific work compared with an operator who actually operates the construction machine. For example, the construction machine manufacturer does not necessarily know in detail what kind of motion the bucket of the hydraulic excavator should be made perform in order to excavate the ground.
-
According to the technology disclosed below, there is set work motion information on the motion of the work member, based on which intermediate motion information on the motion of the intermediate mechanism is calculated, the work motion information and the intermediate motion information constituting control information. This enables the intermediate motion information to be calculated by a system provided by a construction machine manufacturer or the like who is familiar with the construction of the construction machine, but based on the work motion information set by an operator or the like who is familiar with the operation of the construction machine.
-
The technology disclosed below is applicable to a construction machine including the operation mechanism and the work member. Examples of the construction machine include a bulldozer, a vibration roller vehicle and a dump truck. In the bulldozer, the work member is a soil removal plate (blade), and the intermediate mechanism includes a cylinder for actuating the earth removal plate. In the vibration roller vehicle, the work member is a roller, and the intermediate mechanism includes an arm that supports the roller. In the dump truck, the work member is a load-carrying platform, and the intermediate mechanism includes a cylinder for dumping up the load-carrying platform.
-
Next will be described an automatic operation information calculation system and an automatic operation information calculation method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
-
FIG. 1 shows an automatic operation information calculation system 100 and a plurality of construction machines according to the embodiment, which constitute an automatic operation system. The plurality of construction machines include a construction machine 120A and a construction machine 120B. The automatic operation information calculation system 100 includes an arithmetic processing device 110. The automatic operation information calculation system 100 may further include at least one of the construction machines 120A and 120. The arithmetic processing device 110 includes an intermediate motion information calculation part 111, and further includes, in the embodiment, an information input part 112 and a management-side transmission-and-reception part 113. Each of the construction machines 120A and 120B includes a machine body 121, an intermediate mechanism 122, a work member 123, an intermediate motion control part 124, a measurement part 125 and a machine-side transmission-and-reception part 126.
-
The intermediate motion information calculation part 111 may be either dedicated or configured by use of a general-purpose computer device. In the latter example, the function of the intermediate motion information calculation part 111 is provided by a predetermined program that makes the computer device perform arithmetic processing. The computer device, which includes a processor such as a CPU, memory such as ROM and RAM, input means such as a mouse and a keyboard, and a display, is made execute arithmetic processing by a predetermined program. Examples of the computer device include a personal computer (PC), a server, a tablet PC, and a mobile terminal including a smartphone.
-
The arithmetic processing device 110 can be disposed at a location away from the work site, for example, a management building or a supervisor stuffing shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, like the construction machine 120B shown in FIG. 1, there may be installed a computer device including the intermediate motion information calculation part 111 and the information input part 112 on a construction machine. The intermediate motion information calculation part 111 allows work motion information, which is information on the motion of the work member, to be input as input information to the intermediate motion information calculation part 111, calculating intermediate motion information, which is information on the motion of the intermediate mechanism 122, based on the work motion information. The intermediate motion control part 124 acquires the intermediate motion information and controls the motion of the intermediate mechanism 122 in accordance with the intermediate motion information. In the example shown in FIG. 1, where the arithmetic processing device 110 is disposed in the management building, the management-side transmission-and-reception part 113transmits the intermediate motion information to the machine-side transmission-and-reception part 126 through a wire or wireless means, and the machine-side transmission-and-reception part 126 transmits the intermediate motion information to the intermediate motion control part 124.
-
The automatic operation information calculation system 100 may be configured either to control only a single type of construction machine or to control simultaneously a plurality of types of construction machines, for example, the construction machines 120A and 120B illustrated in FIG. 1. The automatic operation information calculation system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 is capable of simultaneously controlling the two types of construction machines 120A and 120B. For example, the backhoe and the dump truck can be simultaneously controlled at the same construction site. The automatic operation information calculation system 100 calculates intermediate motion information about each of the plurality of construction machines 120, that is, in the example of FIG. 1, intermediate motion information for each of the construction machines 120A and 120B. Besides, the automatic operation information calculation system 100 allows a plurality of construction machines of the same type, for example, a plurality of construction machines 120A or a plurality of construction machines 120B, to be simultaneously controlled. For example, two backhoe and three dump trucks can be simultaneously controlled at the same construction site.
-
FIGS. 2A and 2B show a hydraulic excavator 120E, which is an example of the construction machine. FIG. 2A shows a state before the hydraulic excavator 120E excavates the ground, and FIG. 2B shows a state where the hydraulic excavator 120E is excavating the ground. The machine body 121 of the hydraulic excavator 120E includes an upper turning body including a cab (operation seat), and a lower traveling body including a traveling member such as a pair of crawlers. The intermediate mechanism 122 is interposed between the machine body 121 and the bucket 123B corresponding to the work member 123 and moves the work member 123 with respect to the machine body 121, thereby enabled to make the work member 123 perform a work motion. Specifically, the intermediate mechanism 122 includes a boom 122B, an arm 122A, a boom cylinder 122C1, an arm cylinder 122C2 and a bucket cylinder 122C. The boom 122B has a proximal end and a distal end opposite to the proximal end, and the proximal end is connected to the machine body 121 capably of vertically rotational movement. The arm 122A has a proximal end and a distal end opposite to the proximal end, and the proximal end is connected to the distal end of the boom 122B capably of vertically rotational movement. The bucket 123B is connected to the distal end of the arm 122A capably of vertically rotational movement. The intermediate motion control part 124 performs: making the boom cylinder 122C1 expanded and contracted to control the motion of the boom 122B with respect to the machine body 121; making the arm cylinder 122C2 expanded and contracted to control the motion of the arm 122A with respect to the boom 122B; and making the bucket cylinder 122C3 expanded and contracted to control the motion of the bucket 123B with respect to the arm 122A.
-
The measurement part 125 measures the state of a work object in a target area, which is an area to be a work target, the work object being the ground which is an excavation target by the hydraulic excavator 120E. For example, in the case of the target area divided into a plurality of construction blocks BL01, BL02, ..., BL15 as illustrated in FIG. 3 to let the ground excavated for each of the construction blocks, it is necessary to grasp the shape and dimensions of the ground in the target area, and the measurement part 125 therefore measures information necessary for the division of the ground of the target area. The measurement by the measurement part 125 also allows the progress of the ground excavation and the finished shape after the excavation to be grasped.
-
The measurement part 125 includes, for example, a laser measurement device that performs measurement using a laser sensor, an imaging device such as a camera or a video camera for performing measurement using a photograph measurement, for example, two sets of stereo pair images, and a Total Station.
-
The intermediate motion information calculation part 111 calculates the intermediate motion information based on the work motion information that is the input information. The work motion information is information on the work motion of the work member 123, wherein the work motion is the motion of the work member 123 for executing purposed work that is work to be the main purpose of the construction machine. For example, the main purposed work of the hydraulic excavator 120E includes excavation of the ground and loading of soil and sand, and the work motion information is information on the work motion of the work member 123, which is the bucket 123B in the hydraulic excavator 120E, from the start to the end of the main purposed work.
-
The work motion information is the set of information on the position and posture of the bucket 123B which are varied temporally from the start to the end of the purposed work, being information on a work member trajectory. The work member trajectory is the trajectory of the work member 123 during the purposed work; in the hydraulic excavator 120E, it is the trajectory of the bucket 123B performing ground excavation along an arrow 150 shown in FIG. 4. The work motion information includes an elapsed time defined by the time elapsed from the start of the specific work, work member position information which is information on the position of the work member 123, for example, the bucket 123B, at the elapsed time, and work member posture information which is information on the posture of the work member 123, for example, the bucket 123B, at the elapsed time. The work motion information is composed of a plurality of motion information elements, each of which is the combination of the elapsed time and the work member position information and the work member posture information corresponding to the elapsed time. The work motion information, thus, is composed of the plurality of motion information elements arranged along the work member trajectory.
-
FIG. 5 shows an example of the plurality of motion information elements. In this example, 19 location points (point 1 to point 19) are set along the work member trajectory from the start to the completion of the work, and respective 19 motion information elements corresponding to the location points are acquired. Each of the motion information elements is composed of an elapsed time (seconds) from the start of work, X, Y and Z coordinates of the bucket edge position, and a bucket inclination angle θ (deg).
-
The work member position information is the coordinates of a set point which is set in advance at an arbitrary part in the work member 123. For example, in the bucket 123B, the set point may be set at either the edge 123t of the center of the bucket 123B shown in FIG. 6A or the center part of the back surface of the bucket 123B. The coordinates constituting the work member position information are preferably coordinates in a three-dimensional coordinate system having a reference point that is set in advance arbitrarily in the machine body 121 as an origin. For example, the reference point in the hydraulic excavator 120E, namely, the coordinate origin, may be set to either the center 121c of the machine body 121 in a plan view as shown in FIG. 6B, for example, the turning center of the upper turning body, or an arbitrary point in an upper part of the cab.
-
The work member posture information about the posture of the work member 123 is, for example, the inclination angle of a reference surface selected in the work member 123. In the bucket 123B, for example, the back surface 123s of the bucket 123B as shown in FIG. 6B is used as the reference surface, and the angle of the back surface 123s to the horizontal plane, namely, an inclination angle θ, is selected as the work member posture information. The reference surface, alternatively, may be an opening surface of the bucket 123B. Besides, the angle of the reference surface to the vertical plane may be selected as the work member posture information. Alternatively, in place of the angle, the work member posture information may be constituted by two reference points. This allows the inclination angle of the work member 123 to be defined by the three-dimensional coordinates of each of the two reference points. For example, the case of setting the two reference points on the back surface 123s of the bucket 123B allows the inclination angle θ of the back surface 123s to be determined based on the three-dimensional coordinates of each of the two reference points.
-
The work motion information composed of a series of the motion information elements can be set either based on experience and knowledge of an expert familiar with the operation of the construction machines 120A and 120B or by a so-called simulation with virtual operation of a model of the construction machines 120A, 120B, for example, in a three-dimensional CAD (Computer Aided Design). Alternatively, it is also possible to periodically measure the elapsed time, the work member position information and the work member posture information during actual operation of the construction machines 120A and 120B by a skilled operator and to set the work motion information based on the result of the measurement.
-
The intermediate motion information calculation part 111 calculates the intermediate motion information so as to match the position and posture of the work member 123 at each of the elapsed times with the work member position information and the work member posture information, respectively, specifically, so as to match the position of the set point of the work member 123 with the position according to the work member position information and so as to match the reference surface of the work member 123 with the posture according to the work member posture information. The intermediate motion information is preferably calculated based on a parameter specific to the construction machine 120, for example, a member dimension, ability, or the like. In summary, although the work motion information does not depend on the type or the like of the construction machine 120, it is preferable that the intermediate motion information is calculated correspondingly to the construction machine 120. Since the work motion information is the set of the plurality of motion information elements for each elapsed time and is discrete data, the intermediate motion information calculation part 111 calculates the intermediate motion information so as to complement the intermediate motion information between the motion information elements adjacent to each other. For the reason, it is preferable to set an upper limit (for example, 0.5 seconds) to a time interval between adjacent motion information elements or to set an upper limit (for example, 300 mm) to an inter-point distance between adjacent motion information elements.
-
The intermediate motion information calculation part 111 may calculate the intermediate motion information either on condition that the intermediate mechanism 122 performs no horizontal turning, which is a turning around a substantially vertical axis (including a vertical axis) or on condition that the intermediate mechanism 122 performs the horizontal turning. For example, in the case where the control target includes a series of motions in which the bucket 123B is lowered to the ground from above as shown in FIG. 2 to excavate the ground and scoops excavated soil, it is preferable to calculate the intermediate motion information under a turning restraint condition that the intermediate mechanism 122 including the boom 122B and the arm 122A performs no horizontal turning.
-
On the other hand, in the case where the control target includes not only work where the bucket 123B scoops excavated soil but also work where the boom 122B and the arm 122A thereafter horizontally turns to move the bucket 123B to the load-carrying platform of the dump truck and the bucket 123B removes the excavated soil onto the load-carrying platform and levels the excavated soil on the load-carrying platform, it is preferable to calculate the intermediate motion information under a turning condition that the intermediate mechanism 122 including the boom 122B and the arm 122A performs horizontal turning. In the case where a boundary wall 140 is installed in the construction area to force excavation along the boundary wall 140 as shown in FIG. 7, also, it is preferable to calculate the intermediate motion information under the turning condition.
-
In the above-described case where the measurement part 125 measures the shape and the like of the work object in the target area in order to set the plurality of construction blocks shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate motion information calculation part 111 acquires the coordinates of respective positions of the construction blocks and calculates the intermediate motion information based on the coordinates, but it is not required to change the work motion information for each of the construction blocks. Hence, even if the motions of the boom 122B and the arm 122A for the construction blocks are different, the intermediate motion information is calculated on the assumption that the motion of the bucket 123B is constant in every construction block. In the case of excavating the ground for each of the construction blocks, it is preferable to calculate the intermediate motion information under the turning restraint condition when setting the work motion information for the excavation work of one cycle, that is, the work from the descent of the bucket 123B to the scooping of excavated soil and to calculate the intermediate motion information under the turning condition when setting the work motion information for the entire work until all the excavation of the construction block is completed.
-
The information input part 112 included in the arithmetic processing device 110 inputs the work motion information to the intermediate motion information calculation part 111. The information input part 112 includes, for example, a pointing device (a mouse, a touch panel, a pen tablet, a touch pad, a track pad, a trackball, or the like), a keyboard, and the like.
-
Next will be described the automatic operation information calculation method according to the present embodiment with reference to FIG. 8. In the center column of FIG. 8 are shown main steps of the entry detection method according to the embodiment; in the left column is shown information necessary for the steps; and in the right column is shown information provided by the steps.
-
For the automatic operation of the construction machine 120, first is performed a model construction (Step 201). In the model construction, preferably is performed an ideal specific work, for example, by a skilled operator. During the operation of the construction machine 120 by the operator, a measurement device such as a laser measuring machine, an image acquisition unit for photograph measurement or a total station periodically acquires a motion information element (motion information element acquisition step). After the acquisition of all the motion information elements, that is, all of the series of motion information elements along the work member trajectory, the work motion information is set based on the motion information elements (Step 202: motion information setting step).
-
For the actual performance of the specific work, the measurement part 125 measures the shape and the like of the work object in the target area (Step 203). Based on the result of the measurement and the work motion information, the intermediate motion information calculation part 111 calculates the intermediate motion information (Step 204: intermediate motion information calculation step). For setting the construction blocks as shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable to acquire coordinates indicating the positions of the construction blocks and calculate the intermediate motion information based on the coordinates.
-
In accordance with the thus calculated intermediate motion information, the intermediate motion control part 124 controls the motion of the intermediate mechanism 122 (Step 205). The work member 123 is thereby allowed to execute the specific work (Step 206).
-
As has been described, there is provided an automatic operation information calculation system and an automatic operation information calculation method that allow automatic operation information to be easily calculated.
-
Provided is a system for calculating information for automatic operation of a construction machine, the system including an intermediate motion information calculation part. The construction machine includes a machine body, an intermediate mechanism connected to the machine body, and a work member attached to the intermediate mechanism. The work member is a member that performs a work motion for achieving a work application of the construction machine. The intermediate mechanism is interposed between the machine body and the work member, and configured to move the work member with respect to the machine body. The intermediate motion information calculation part calculates intermediate motion information based on work motion information that is set for the work member. The work motion information includes a plurality of motion information elements, each of which includes an elapsed time, work member position information that is information on a position of a set point at the elapsed time, the set point being set in advance in the work member, and work member posture information that is information on a posture of the work member at the elapsed time. The work member position information is a three-dimensional coordinate in a coordinate system having a reference point that is set in advance in the machine body as an origin. The intermediate motion information calculation part calculates the intermediate motion information so as to match a position and a posture of the work member with the work member position information and the work member posture information of the motion information elements, respectively, at the elapsed time of each of the motion information elements.
-
In the system, the designation of the motion of the work member included in common to the same type of construction machine makes it possible to make the construction machine automatically perform predetermined work. This allows the system to be utilized for a plurality of construction machines including a common working member.
-
For example, the designation of the work motion of the work member that achieves the work application of the construction machine such as excavation of the ground or loading of soil and sand in the hydraulic excavator makes it possible to command a stable motion, which is realistic and achievable, to the construction machine.
-
Besides, only by designating the motion of the work member, automatic operation by the construction machine is allowed to be performed. This eliminates the need for performing complicated processing such as calculating respective motions of many work members constituting the construction machine.
-
Also provided is an automatic operation system including the automatic operation information calculation system and the construction machine. The construction machine further includes an intermediate motion control part configured to control a motion of the intermediate mechanism based on the intermediate motion information calculated by the intermediate motion information calculation part. For example, in the case where the construction machine is a hydraulic excavator, the work member is a bucket for excavating the ground or loading earth and sand; the intermediate mechanism includes an arm, a boom, and a plurality of hydraulic cylinders; and the intermediate motion control part controls the motion of the hydraulic cylinder so as to match the motion of the intermediate mechanism with the intermediate motion information.
-
The intermediate motion information calculation part may calculate the intermediate motion information either on condition that the intermediate mechanism is restrained from turning or on condition that the intermediate mechanism is allowed to turn.
-
Also provided is a method of calculating intermediate motion information for automatic operation of the construction machine, the method including a motion information setting step and an intermediate motion information calculation step. In the motion information setting step, work motion information on the motion of the work member is set and, in the intermediate motion information calculation step, intermediate motion information on the motion of the intermediate mechanism is calculated based on the work motion information.
-
The automatic operation information calculation method may further include a motion information element acquisition step. In the motion information element acquisition step, the plurality of motion information elements are acquired during operation of the construction machine by an operator. In the motion information setting step, the work motion information is set based on the plurality of motion information elements acquired in the motion information element acquisition step.