REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE FOR CRANE, CONSTRUCTION MACHINE AND / OR FOREST CONVEYOR

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a remote control device for a crane, a construction machine and / or a forklift truck, comprising a control station which has at least one input means for entering control commands and a signal transmission device for transmitting the entered control commands to the control device of the crane, the construction machine or the forklift truck, as well as a display device for displaying a representation of the machine environment and / or a working tool such as a boom or load hook, wherein a motion determination module is provided for determining movements and / or deformations of the machine components depending on the entered control commands.

[0002] Such remote control devices are known, for example, from WO 2017 / 121636 A1 and WO 2017 / 121639 A1, which constitute prior art according to Article 54(3) EPC. Further, similar remote control devices for cranes are disclosed in JP 2013 116773 A, which discloses a remote control device according to the preamble of claim 1, and WO 2015 / 155845 A1.

[0003] Cranes and similar large machines such as jackhammers, surface miners, or rope excavators are very complex to operate and control. The sheer number of control functions and their interaction, along with the associated, relatively complex input devices like joysticks, foot pedals, and control switches, pose a challenge. The often unfamiliar, machine-specific reactions of the machine structure to actuator movements also present a significant problem. Cranes such as tower cranes or telescopic luffing cranes, as well as harbor or maritime cranes, have long, slender structural components like booms or towers that are prone to twisting and relatively flexible. As a result, acceleration or deceleration of the actuators leads to structural deformations and pendulum movements, which serve as a kind of feedback for experienced crane operators.Unlike smaller machines with structures that can be considered approximately rigid, tower cranes, for example, can experience deformation of the tower structure and boom system when a load is lifted, or the load can swing after rotating around the vertical axis, causing the boom to oscillate accordingly. Similar phenomena can occur with cable excavators or drilling rigs, making a crane operator or machine operator feel insecure if they do not experience the usual, corresponding crane responses to control operations.

[0004] Such a lack of crane responses and a general lack of realism are a particular problem when remotely controlling cranes, construction machinery, or industrial trucks, making the remote operator feel insecure. For example, when a crane is remotely controlled, the operator doesn't feel the usual crane reactions that, when operating directly from the crane's cab, intuitively give them the feeling of having controlled it correctly or incorrectly.

[0005] To make remote control more realistic, consideration has already been given to using an approximately realistic control station, which could, for example, correspond to the crane operator's cab of a particular crane type and have control commands via input devices such as joysticks, pedals, control switches, or touchscreens. Furthermore, a display device, which is known to comprise several screens arranged within the control station's field of vision, would show a real or virtual representation of the crane's surroundings and the crane components visible from the control station, such as the boom and load hook. A "real" representation would be provided by cameras on the remotely controlled machine, while the virtual representation of the crane's surroundings and components could be calculated by a graphical simulation module based on the input control commands.

[0006] A remote control system for a crane is known, for example, from German patent application DE 10 2012 216 489 A1, and this previously known remote control is intended to be usable for various types of construction machinery. The remote control is equipped with a selection mechanism that allows the number of operating and selection menus on the remote control's display to be reduced, depending on the configuration of the connected construction machinery. However, this remote control, as described above, lacks sufficient realism, a deficiency that is hardly improved by adapting the operating menus to the specific construction machinery.

[0007] A crane simulator that uses virtual representations of the crane environment is known, for example, from German patent application DE 10 2013 011 818 A1. This application features a crane operator's cabin as a control station with corresponding input devices, whereby the viewing windows or glazing of the simulated crane operator's cabin are replaced by screens displaying the virtual representation of the crane environment. A technical simulation module is intended to simulate the dynamic behavior of the control and drive components and take this into account in the screen display, particularly the positioning movements of crane components such as the hoist that occur during specific crane movements.

[0008] Based on this, the present invention aims to create an improved remote control device of the type mentioned above, which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art and advantageously develops the latter further. In particular, a more realistic simulation of crane or machine operation is to be achieved, which better conveys the actual crane or machine behavior and makes remote control safer. According to the invention, this objective is achieved by a remote control device according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0009] It is therefore proposed that crane or machine reactions to control commands entered at the control station, for example in the form of crane movements and / or deformations, not only be displayed on the screen, but also translated into an actual movement of the remote control station that corresponds to the crane or machine reaction. This allows the remote control user to experience and understand the dynamic machine reactions more realistically. For this purpose, the control station, which may include an operator's chair, is no longer statically fixed in space or on the floor, but is movable by a drive device. According to the invention, the remote control station is movably mounted and can be moved by a drive device depending on the movements and / or deformations of the machine components determined by the motion control module.If the motion control module detects deflections of machine components, such as the crane tower, through positioning movements or deformations that would affect the position of the actual crane operator's cabin, the drive unit is controlled accordingly by a drive control unit to simulate the movement of the crane operator's cabin and move the control station accordingly. For example, if a command to rotate the crane around a vertical axis is entered at the control station, the control station is rotated accordingly by the drive unit. If, for example, the control command to lift a heavy load is entered, which in reality can lead to a slight pitching of the crane structure with slight twisting of the tower, the control station is moved slightly forward and / or tilted slightly forward by the drive unit.

[0010] To enable the most realistic possible simulation of the control station movements occurring in actual operation, the drive device can be designed to be movable across multiple axes and / or perform both rotary and translational movements. In particular, the control station can be mounted on multi-axis movable bearings, and the drive device can include at least one upright rotational axis and at least one horizontal rocker axis and / or two horizontally oriented translational axes. To be able to simulate even complex control station movements, the drive device can have three rotational or tilting axes, or be designed to operate in three rotational and three translational axes, so that the control station can be rotated or tilted around all three spatial axes and moved translationally in all three spatial directions. Depending on the crane or other crane being simulated, the drive device can be configured to operate in three different ways.Depending on the machine type, simpler designs of the drive device with fewer axes of movement may also be considered.

[0011] Advantageously, the remote control unit can be connected to various devices, particularly different types of devices, and establish control communication with each selected device. These can include various pieces of equipment used on a construction site, such as cranes, excavators, bulldozers, or similar machines, but also devices used at different locations. Depending on which device is to be remotely controlled, a control communication connection can be established from the remote control unit and / or from the respective device, for example, by dialing a specific IP address if the connection is made via a network, or in other ways. To enable sufficiently fast data communication between the remote control and the machine, a high-bandwidth communication connection is advantageously chosen to avoid real-time problems or time lags between control commands and machine responses.

[0012] To realistically simulate the machine responses of different machine types, the remote control device according to the invention includes a configuration module by means of which the remote control device can be preconfigured for a specific machine type to be remotely controlled. The aforementioned preconfiguration means can, in a manner known per se, adapt the assignment of the control levers and control buttons as well as the selection of the operating menus and screen displays to the respective device.In particular, preconfiguration tools for motion control and / or mapping of machine responses can also be provided, by means of which the drive devices for moving the control station can be reconfigured and adapted to the machine responses of the respective machine type, since, for example, a top-rotating tower crane reacts differently than a bottom-rotating tower crane, or again a telescopic luffing jib crane reacts differently than a tower crane, or an excavator reacts differently than a crane. In particular, the aforementioned configuration tools can also be used to reconfigure operating and / or boundary parameters of the motion control module, so that, depending on the selected machine type, the motion control module determines the movements and / or deformations of machine components appropriately for the respective machine type.By controlling the drive device with the movement parameters adjusted in this way, a realistic response from the control station can be generated.

[0013] The configuration module may also include pre-configuration means for adapting the display device and the representation of the machine environment and / or the working tool shown thereon, wherein said pre-configuration means may preferably adapt the representation and / or the display device to the cameras available or usable on the respective remote-controlled machine type and / or, if the representation is calculated virtually, adapt the parameters for calculating the virtual representation to the respective machine type.

[0014] The aforementioned motion detection module can be configured in various ways. For example, the motion detection module can capture actual reactions of the remotely controlled machine using suitable sensors, with corresponding sensor signals being transmitted to the remote control to then actuate or control its control station accordingly. Capturing such actual machine reactions of the remotely controlled machine can include, for example, the detection of movements such as the travel distance of a trolley, the winding and unwinding of a crane's hoist cable, etc. In particular, deformations of the remotely controlled machine's structure can also be detected, such as pitching movements of the crane operator's cabin resulting from tower deformations, for example, using appropriate tilt and / or acceleration sensors.

[0015] Alternatively or additionally to capturing movements and / or deformations of the actual, remotely controlled machine, the motion detection module can also simulate the aforementioned reactions to input control commands in the form of movements and / or deformations of machine parts. For this purpose, it includes a corresponding simulation module that calculates corresponding reaction movements and / or deformations based on the input control commands and / or can model and measure them using control and / or motion components belonging to the simulation module. Such a simulation can avoid time latency problems between the remote control station and the remotely controlled machine, especially with slower communication links or greater distances.

[0016] If the remote control device can be used for different machine types as described above, the configuration module can adapt the calculation parameters and / or algorithms for simulating movements and / or deformations to the selected machine type. In particular, dynamic packages or data and algorithm sets for various remotely controlled machines can be read from a database into the simulation module to simulate movements and deformations appropriately for the selected machine. These dynamic data packages can be read online from a database. Alternatively or additionally, the simulation module itself can be equipped with a storage device in which various data and algorithm sets are stored like a library.

[0017] In further developments of the invention, hybrid forms are also possible in which part of the reactions are recorded on the actual, remotely controlled machine and another part of the reactions are determined by the simulation module.

[0018] According to another aspect, the motion control module is designed in such a way that the crane or machine structure is not considered a rigid, so to speak infinitely stiff structure, but is assumed to be an elastically deformable and / or compliant and / or relatively soft structure that - in addition to the positioning axes of the machine such as the boom luffing axis or the tower rotation axis - allows movements and / or changes in position through deformations of the structural components.Considering the mobility of the machine structure due to structural deformations under load or dynamic stresses is particularly important for elongated, slender structures, such as cranes, which are deliberately pushed to their limits in terms of static and dynamic constraints – while taking necessary safety margins into account. This is because noticeable movement occurs in these structures, for example, affecting the crane operator's cab and the position of the load hook, due to the deformations of the structural components. To enable truly realistic training, the motion determination module considers such deformations of the machine structure under static or dynamic loads.

[0019] In particular, the device for determining such structural deformations can include a calculation unit that calculates these deformations based on a stored computational model, depending on the control commands entered at the control station. Such a model can be structured similarly to a finite element model or be a finite element model itself, but advantageously, a significantly simplified model is used. This simplified model can be determined, for example, empirically by recording structural deformations under specific control commands and / or load conditions on the actual crane or machine. Such a computational model can, for example, work with tables in which specific deformations are assigned to specific control commands, and intermediate values ​​of the control commands can be converted into corresponding deformations using an interpolation device.

[0020] The use of such a simplified calculation model compared to a finite element model allows for a faster determination of structural deformations and thus a more realistic simulation of machine movements in real time or near real time with less computing power.

[0021] The structural component deformations taken into account by the motion determination module can, on the one hand, be considered when controlling the drive device to move the control station, so that the control station replicates the control station movements caused by the structural component deformations.

[0022] Alternatively or additionally, certain or detected structural deformations can also be taken into account when displaying the machine environment and / or the machine components visible therein, for example by showing the deflection of the boom in the display or by raising the horizon of the crane environment slightly to simulate a slight forward pitching of the crane operator's cabin due to, for example, a tower deformation.

[0023] The display of the machine environment and / or the working tool of the remotely controlled machine shown at the control station can include a real representation provided by means of at least one camera located in the area of ​​the remotely controlled machine, and / or a virtual representation calculated by means of a graphic simulation module depending on the control commands entered.

[0024] Such a true, camera-generated representation of the machine environment and / or the working tool can be generated in particular in the form of a live image or television-like video image, wherein a corresponding video signal is transmitted from the at least one camera on the remotely controlled machine to the remotely arranged control station of the remote control device and is reproduced by the display unit provided there.

[0025] Alternatively or additionally to a video or television camera, other imaging sensors can be used, such as an infrared sensor, a radar sensor, a photomixing detector, or a time-of-flight sensor. In a time-of-flight detector, objects are illuminated with light pulses, and the signal travel time is measured. Based on this measurement, the distance between the camera and the object can be calculated, and a three-dimensional image generated. Advantageously, several imaging sensors of different types can be used, for example, a camera in conjunction with an infrared sensor. Their images can be superimposed and displayed in a single image, such as by overlaying the warm areas of an infrared image, which might show people, onto the camera image.However, the use of a video and / or television camera is advantageous in that it creates a realistic image that gives the machine operator the feeling of seeing with their own eyes.

[0026] Such a camera or imaging sensor for displaying the machine environment or the working tool of the remotely controlled machine can, for example, be fixedly or pivotably mounted on the machine itself, such as on the operator's cab of a crane and / or on the trolley of a tower crane or at another suitable location, wherein the camera is advantageously oriented in such a way that the working tool, for example the load hook of a crane, can be observed. Advantageously, several cameras can also be provided in order to be able to view the working tool from different perspectives.

[0027] In an advantageous further development of the invention, a movable and / or movable camera can also be used, which makes it possible to depict the working tool and / or the machine environment from different viewing directions.

[0028] In a further development of the invention, a camera mounted on a drone can also be used. It is therefore proposed to use a remotely controlled drone equipped with a camera, by means of which the desired camera image of the working tool and / or the tool's surroundings can be provided from various viewing angles. In particular, such a drone can also provide a perspective camera image of the working tool and its surroundings from oblique viewing axes, obtained from a point distanced from the machine and its operator's platform and above the ground, so that the machine operator can visualize the working tool and its surroundings from a perspective similar to that of an external observer.For example, with a crane, camera images of the load hook and its surroundings can be provided, viewed obliquely or perpendicularly from the side, looking down the vertical crane center plane through the boom. Images of the load hook can also be provided from drone positions located within this vertical crane center plane passing through the boom. Such perspective camera images from different viewpoints allow for a much better visualization of the relative positions between the work tool and its surroundings or a target point.

[0029] To enable simple operation of the drone, a further development of the invention allows the drone to be controlled depending on a machine position and / or the position of the working tool, such that the drone automatically follows machine movements, in particular the movements of the working tool, and maintains or attempts to maintain a desired position relative to the machine and / or its working tool, at least approximately, even during machine movements, in particular movements of the working tool. For example, if the drone is used in conjunction with a crane, the drone can automatically follow the crane's load hook when the automatic following mode is activated. For example, if a relative position of the drone is set approximately at the height of the load hook, the drone can automatically follow the crane's load hook.If the drone is positioned a certain distance above the vertical crane center plane with a lateral offset from the boom, it can automatically lower or raise its flight altitude when the load hook is lowered or raised, and / or fly forward or backward parallel to the vertical crane center plane when the crane trolley is moved, and / or fly laterally to the left or right when the crane is rotated.

[0030] Advantageously, the drone can also be remotely controlled autonomously, allowing it to freely fly to various desired positions relative to the machine and / or its work tool. This can be achieved, for example, by entering a desired position for the drone relative to the load hook or work tool, such as by entering a position control module, which may be integrated into the remote control unit, into a position relative to the load hook, for example, "2 m above and to the right of the load hook". Alternatively or additionally, the drone can also be flown completely freely relative to the machine and its work tool, for example, using a joystick, to fly the drone until the camera position and its view of the work tool and its surroundings are satisfactory to the crane operator or machine operator.

[0031] To further enhance the user's perception of reality with the remote control system, another aspect is planned: the display device will overlay the representations of the remote-controlled machine's environment provided by the camera and / or the graphic simulation module with live images from the control station, which can, for example, show the remote control system user's movements. Specifically, the display device can simultaneously and superimpose real or virtual representations of the machine environment and / or the machine components visible within it, as well as live images from a camera at the control station. Such a superimposition of images from the simulation world and live images gives the remote control system user a particularly strong sense of realism.

[0032] Advantageously, a head-mounted display device, in particular a glasses-like design, for example in the form of virtual reality glasses, and a camera, also advantageously wearable on the head, for example designed as a helmet camera or integrated into the said virtual reality glasses, can be used as a display device, which provides the said live images that are displayed together with the artificially generated, virtual representation on the display device, in particular the virtual reality glasses.

[0033] The camera used to provide live images from the control station can advantageously be a stereoscopic camera that provides stereoscopic images, preferably in a camera viewing direction that at least approximately corresponds to the viewing direction of a user's eyes. These images can then be displayed at the appropriate point on the display device, in particular the virtual reality headset. This allows for a particularly realistic user experience.

[0034] Alternatively or additionally, a 360° camera can be used, the images of which can be made available to the crane operator, for example, in the aforementioned virtual reality headset. Such a 360° camera also simplifies the setup of the imaging system; in particular, the camera image can relatively easily follow the head movements of the virtual reality headset wearer, thus avoiding the need for complex remote camera control.

[0035] In principle, it would also be possible to overlay images from the remote-controlled machine and the aforementioned live images from the control station onto a conventional screen. For example, a user could wear a head-mounted camera that provides images roughly corresponding to the user's line of sight, allowing the display device—perhaps in the form of multiple screens—to show a live-recorded view of the user's arm or a live-recorded portion of the control station. However, a more realistic and thus more immersive simulation can be achieved by overlaying the images onto the viewing surfaces of a virtual reality headset.

[0036] The overlay device for superimposing the live images from the control station camera with the representation of the environment of the remotely controlled machine can advantageously be designed to operate according to the so-called green screen technique, whereby the overlay device recognizes color areas of a predetermined color in the live image and then replaces these image areas with the virtual representation from the simulation module.For this purpose, the control station can advantageously include a cab wall in which window areas – for example, corresponding to the viewing windows of a real crane operator's cab – are colored in a key color that differs as clearly as possible from the other colors of the components within the camera's field of view, such as the color of the window frames, the input devices, and the operator's clothing and skin tone. This ensures that the live image captured in the control station shows the aforementioned colored areas in a specific color representation, while all other image areas are shown in other colors. The live image areas or sub-areas colored in the aforementioned key color – for example, green – are then replaced by the real or virtual representation of the machine environment and / or the machine components visible within it, so that the superimposed image...The superimposed display shows, on the one hand, the control station of the remote control device, its components and the user's body parts located in the field of view of the live camera in real life as a live image, and on the other hand, in the window areas of the driver's cab wall recorded by the live camera, the camera-generated real or virtual representation of the machine environment and the machine components visible therein.

[0037] The aforementioned virtual representation of the machine environment can advantageously be modified by the graphical simulation module and adapted to different scenarios depending on various datasets that can be imported into the simulation module via an interface. In particular, planning data such as CAD data of a building to be constructed and / or actual construction site data, which reflects the current state of a building or structure under construction as it progresses, can be imported into the simulation module via a corresponding data interface. The simulation module then uses this data to generate or adapt the virtual representation of the machine environment according to the imported dataset, especially depending on the imported planning data and / or actual construction site data.

[0038] The aforementioned construction site or building information can be CAD data or other geometric data of the building or construction site, and may also include digital image data depicting the actual building and its construction progress. Such image data can be imported into the graphical simulation module as machine environment data via the aforementioned CAD interface or a suitable image data interface. The simulation module then adapts the virtual representation to this imported CAD and / or image data.

[0039] The modeling of a planned, existing, or partially completed construction site and the corresponding generation of the virtual representation of the machine environment by the graphical simulation module is a particularly valuable tool for ensuring logistics on a construction site and for simulating and practicing critical processes even before construction begins.

[0040] If the motion detection device operates in the aforementioned manner – also – with simulated data, the remote control device can advantageously determine at least some of the motion parameters required for the motion simulation not by having a simulation computer calculate all of them, but at least partially by means of data emulation using actually moving hardware components that can form part of the remote control device. Such a data emulation module of the remote control device can, in particular, include actuator components and / or power electronic components by means of which actual actuating movements are performed, replicating the real crane or machine movements and providing data characterizing these movements, for example, in the form of sensor signals that reflect the actuating movements of the aforementioned drive components.Such data emulation allows motion and / or position parameters, which can then be used for motion simulation, to be provided much faster and with less computing power, enabling a more realistic simulation in real time or near real time.

[0041] Such data emulation makes it possible to avoid time delays and data transmission problems in communication channels with lower bandwidths, which would otherwise occur if all movements and / or deformations of the remotely controlled machine, which occur depending on the entered control commands, had to be recorded on the real machine and then transferred back to the control station of the remote control device.

[0042] To achieve a particularly fast and realistic determination of machine component movements based on control commands entered at the control station, the aforementioned motion determination module can, according to another aspect, be designed as a hybrid device or module. This hybrid module comprises, on the one hand, a computer for simulating motion and / or position parameters and, on the other hand, hardware components similar to those found in real crane or machine actuators, such as drive units, rotary encoders, or frequency converters. These components are used to simulate actuator movements and determine motion and / or position parameters. In particular, "real" hardware components are used that are also installed in the crane or machine being simulated as actuator and / or control device components.

[0043] In particular, the motion determination module can include the control cabinet, or at least a part of the control cabinet and its components, which is also used in the machine to be simulated and forms part of the machine control system there. Specifically, the power electronics and / or at least a part of the power electronics, such as a frequency converter, can be used to simulate the positioning movements triggered by control command inputs at the control station.

[0044] Furthermore, in a further development of the invention, actuator units, for example in the form of servo motors, can be used to emulate the actuator movements of the machine or machine components to be simulated. Advantageously, a drive unit, for example in the form of a servo drive unit, is used for each actuator axis. This drive unit is controlled – particularly via the aforementioned frequency converter – according to a control command and can also advantageously be coupled with another drive unit, for example in the form of a servo drive unit, by means of which a counter-torque and / or a counter-load can be exerted to simulate actual loads, resistances, or inertias.For example, the aforementioned second drive unit can be used to simulate a load that opposes a lifting mechanism, or to simulate a wind moment that opposes a rotary drive.

[0045] The positioning movement of the first-mentioned drive unit, possibly taking into account the applied counter-torque or counter-load, can be detected by a suitable detection device, whereby a corresponding detection signal represents the actual positioning movement achieved and can be used as a sensor signal in further simulation, in particular to determine movements and / or positions and / or deformations of the structural parts in the aforementioned manner and / or to simulate the virtual representation of the machine environment and / or the machine components visible therein.

[0046] Advantageously, several such drive units or several such drive unit pairs comprising drive and counterweight drive as well as a corresponding detection device are used in order to determine the various positioning axes and the positioning movements carried out in this respect of the machine operation to be simulated.

[0047] The sensor values ​​of the drive units of the actuator axes, which are actuated and moved depending on the control commands entered at the control station, are therefore not simulated or calculated using a computational model, but rather emulated or replicated using hardware components that come as close as possible to the actual actuator components of the machine to be simulated, and output directly as actual sensor values.

[0048] Such a data emulation system allows the motion control module to determine the movements and / or positions of machine components much faster and with less computing power. This enables a much quicker and more realistic virtual representation of the machine environment and / or machine components, as well as the associated positioning movements of the machine. Furthermore, the generated sensor signals can be displayed at the control station and / or used for additional monitoring measures such as load monitoring or working area limits, which can be displayed and / or simulated at the control station.

[0049] If the remote control device is used to remotely control a tower crane and its operation, the aforementioned pairs of drive units can correspond to the tower slewing mechanism - or, in the case of a top-slewing crane, the jib slewing mechanism - the hoisting mechanism and the trolley mechanism for performing the corresponding positioning movements and providing the corresponding counter-torque or counter-load.

[0050] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a preferred embodiment and associated drawings. In the drawings show: Fig. 1: a schematic representation of a remotely controlled crane in the form of a tower crane, the load hook of which maneuvers a load in the area not visible behind a building, wherein a drone with a camera observes the load hook in order to transmit a corresponding camera image to the control station of the remote control device, and Fig. 2: a schematic representation of the components of a remote control device with a control station for the operator according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention.

[0051] How Fig. 1 and 2 As shown, the remote control device 1 can be designed as a crane remote control, which includes a control station 2 in the form of a crane operator's cabin, which is essentially a "real" crane operator's cabin, such as can be used on a crane, for example a tower crane, a port crane or a maritime crane or mobile telescopic crane.

[0052] The crane 200 can be configured as a tower crane, with its tower 202 supporting a jib 203 on which a trolley 204 is movably mounted. Depending on whether the crane is a top-slewing or bottom-slewing crane, the jib 203 can be rotated about a vertical axis, either together with or without the tower 202. A slewing drive is provided for this purpose. The jib 203 could also be configured to luff up and down about a horizontal transverse axis, with a suitable luffing drive being provided, for example, in conjunction with the jib bracing. The trolley 204 can be moved by means of a trolley winch or another trolley drive.

[0053] The control station 2 mentioned above can include, in a manner known per se, an operator seat 21, for example in the form of an operator chair 20, around which various input devices 18 for entering control commands are arranged. These input devices 18 can, for example, include a joystick, a touchscreen, control levers, input buttons and switches, rotary controls, sliders, and the like.

[0054] The operator's station is surrounded by a driver's cab wall 22, which can correspond to a cabin enclosure and can have window areas 23 that are glazed in real crane operator cabins, but in this case are colored in a specific color, for example coated with a green film, in order to be able to display a real, camera-generated or virtual machine environment using green screen technology, as will be explained below.

[0055] The control station 2 is mounted on a movement platform 7, by means of which the control station 2 is movable in multiple axes. The movement platform 7 is advantageously designed to be movable in multiple axes, in particular tiltable or rotatable about all three spatial axes x, y and z and translationally displaceable along these axes.

[0056] Actuators of a drive device 8 are assigned to the movement axes x, y and z of the movement platform 7, for example in the form of electric motors and / or hydraulic cylinders and / or hydraulic motors, in order to be able to move the control station 2 around or along the aforementioned axes.

[0057] The drive device 8 is controlled by a motion control device 24, which can be implemented, for example, by an industrial PC.

[0058] The motion control device 24 mentioned above can, in particular, be part of a motion determination module 10, by means of which crane movements and / or positions and / or orientations of crane components such as the boom or the tower, and also twists of structural components such as the boom or the tower, can be determined depending on the control commands entered at the control station 2. The motion determination module 10 essentially determines the effects of the entered control commands on the crane to be controlled, i.e., which movements, positions, orientations, and twists of the crane components would result from the entered control commands and outputs corresponding motion signals characterizing these quantities.

[0059] The aforementioned motion determination module 10 does not determine the aforementioned motion parameters, or not completely, by calculation using a computational model, but instead relies on actual hardware components in the form of drive and control components that perform actual movements and are modeled on the corresponding hardware components of a real crane.

[0060] As the Figure 2 As shown, the motion control module 10 comprises at least the essential components of a crane control system 25, such as those that can be implemented in the control cabinet of a crane. In particular, the crane control system 25 includes the frequency converters 15 of various crane drives, for example, the slewing mechanism, the trolley drive, and the hoist. The crane control system 25 may also include further control and / or power electronics components, in particular load monitoring components, working area limitation components, etc.

[0061] The crane control unit 25 is communicatively connected to the control station 2 and its input devices 18, enabling the crane control unit 25 to further process the input control commands. In particular, the frequency converters 15 control drive units 12, for example in the form of servo drives, depending on the input control commands. The control commands input at the control station 2 are thus converted into actual movements or drive torques and forces of the drive units 12.

[0062] The aforementioned drive units 12 can be coupled with counter-drive units 14, via which motion resistances can be applied to the drive units 12 to simulate real resistances such as lifting loads, wind forces, inertia, or dynamic loads. The aforementioned counter-drive units 14 can be controlled by the aforementioned industrial PC, which also implements the motion control device 24. The control of the counter-drive units 14 can be based on various specifications or programs, for example, by predefined lifting loads, predefined wind programs, or by predefined functions or tables such as dynamic reactions during braking of the trolley or rotational movement. For this purpose, corresponding models, tables, or functions can be stored in a memory module of the control device for controlling the counter-drive units 14.

[0063] As the Figure 2As indicated, the drive units 12 are assigned detection devices 13, for example in the form of rotary encoders or other position and / or motion sensors, by means of which motion or position signals are provided that characterize the positioning movements of the drive units 12. The motion determination module 10 thus provides actual sensor signals as motion parameters, which can be displayed on the control station 2 and can also be used for further simulation functions.In particular, depending on the aforementioned motion signals provided by the rotary encoders, structural twists such as tower bending, boom bending and similar deformations can be determined using a computational model, and the drive device 8 of the motion platform 7 can be controlled to move the control station 2, as well as the virtual representation of the crane environment can be generated, each depending on the aforementioned, actually generated sensor signals.

[0064] How Fig. 2As shown, the motion determination module 10 can comprise a computer unit 11, which in turn can be implemented by the aforementioned industrial PC, by means of which computer unit 11 determines structural twists, in particular bends and torsion in the crane tower and in the crane boom, depending on the control commands entered at the control station 2 and / or the emulated data generated by the data emulation device 19 or the sensor signals 13 assigned to the drive units 12, wherein the computer unit 11 uses a calculation model that takes into account the structural stiffnesses, as explained at the beginning.

[0065] Alternatively or in addition to these emulated motion data, the motion determination can also detect "real" movements and / or deformations of the remote-controlled crane using suitable sensors and transmit them to control station 2 via remote data transmission, in order to then control certain functions of control station 2 of the remote control device based on these real crane reactions.

[0066] Based on the aforementioned, emulated and / or recorded, real motion data and the deformation data determined therefrom, the motion control device 24 controls the drive device 8 of the motion platform 7 in order to move the control station 2 and to replicate real crane operator cabin movements that would occur in a real crane when corresponding control commands are entered.

[0067] Secondly, the aforementioned motion data and, if applicable, the aforementioned deformation data are used to account for crane reactions in a virtual representation generated by a graphical simulation module 9 and displayed on a display device 3. This virtual representation shows, in particular, the crane's surroundings and visible crane components such as the crane boom and the load hook, and can essentially correspond to the image a crane operator would see from the crane operator's cab. This virtual representation can take the form of a digital image similar to a photograph or film, for example, a pixelated representation in multiple colors. Alternatively, a simplified graphical representation can be used, although a representation that is as realistic as possible, similar to a photograph or film, is preferred.

[0068] Alternatively or additionally to such a virtual representation, a real, camera-generated representation of the crane's surroundings and / or the load hook can also be used at control station 2. For this purpose, at least one camera can be mounted on the crane 200, the live images of which are transmitted to control station 2. Such a camera 220 can, for example, be mounted on the crane operator's cabin 206 of the remotely controlled crane 200 and advantageously have at least an approximate line of sight that corresponds to the line of sight of a crane operator in the crane operator's cabin 206 and / or extends from the crane operator's cabin 206 towards the load hook.

[0069] Alternatively or additionally, other cameras and / or displays from different perspectives can be recorded and transmitted to the control station for display. In particular, a drone 209, equipped with at least one camera and remotely controlled to move relative to the crane 200, can be used.

[0070] In order to be able to see the load hook 208, which may be connected to a lifting rope 207 running from the trolley 204, or a load picked up on it or the area around the load hook 208 even when the load hook 208 is outside the field of vision of the crane operator's cabin 206 or the crane operator, for example when - as Fig. 1As the load is to be lowered behind a building, a drone 209 is provided, on which at least one camera 210 is mounted, by means of which a camera image of the load hook 208 and / or the load hook area can be provided. The camera image is advantageously a live or real-time image in the sense of a television or video image and is transmitted wirelessly from the camera 210 of the drone 209 to a display unit 211 and / or the control device 205 of the crane 201, wherein the display unit 211 can, for example, be an operator display such as a tablet, screen, or monitor, which can be mounted in the crane operator's cabin 206. If a remote control station or a mobile operating unit is used to control the crane 201 in the manner described above, the display unit 211 can be provided in the remote control station or on the mobile operating unit.

[0071] The drone 209 is equipped with a remote control device 212, which allows the drone 209 to be remotely controlled, in particular the flight control units such as rotor blades, in order to remotely control the flight position of the drone 209 and / or to remotely control the camera 210, in particular with regard to the swivel angle or viewing axis of the camera 210 relative to the body of the drone 209 and / or the focal length of the camera 210.

[0072] A corresponding remote control module can be provided in the crane operator's cabin 206 and / or the remote control station or the mobile control unit, for example, equipped with appropriate joysticks. However, to enable simple operation, voice control and / or menu control can also be provided for the drone 209, for example, to select a desired relative position from several predetermined relative positions of the drone 209 relative to the crane. This can be done, for example, by entering "Drone position 1" via voice control and / or menu control, which may be pre-programmed or predefined in the position control device 213.

[0073] Advantageously, the aforementioned real or virtual representation of the crane environment and the crane components visible therein is overlaid by a live image showing real components from the control station 2, in particular components visible from the head of the remote control device user in his direction of view, such as the input means 18, the hands and forearm of the user and other components lying in the field of view.

[0074] For this purpose, a camera 16 is advantageously provided, which can be designed as a head-mounted camera worn on the user's head and can have corresponding mounting and / or holding means for attaching it to the head, for example in the form of a helmet camera. If the display device 3 is advantageously designed in the form of virtual reality glasses 4, which the user wears, the camera 16 can be integrated into these VR glasses.

[0075] Advantageously, camera 16 is designed as a stereoscopic camera in order to provide stereoscopic images corresponding to the sight lines of the user's two eyes.

[0076] The superimposition device 17 for superimposing the representation of the crane environment and the live image from camera 16 at control station 2 can, in particular, comprise a color-based image processing module 26 that can operate according to the so-called green screen technique. Specifically, the aforementioned color-based image processing module 26 can recognize image areas in the live image from camera 16 that have a specific color that differs from the remaining image areas, and then replace these image areas with the representation from the simulation module 9.

[0077] Advantageously, the control station 2 can include a driver's cab wall 22 in which window areas 23 – for example, corresponding to the viewing windows of a real crane operator's cab – are colored in a key color that differs as clearly as possible from the remaining colors of the other components in the camera's field of view, such as the color of the window frames, the input devices 18, and the operator's clothing and skin tone, so that the live image recorded in the control station 2 shows the aforementioned colored areas in a specific color reproduction, while all other image areas are shown in other colors. The live image areas colored in the aforementioned key color – for example, green – or- Sub-areas are then replaced by the representation of the machine environment and / or the machine components visible therein, which is generated by the graphic simulation module 9 and / or by a camera arranged on the crane, so that the superimposed image or the superimposed representation shows, on the one hand, the control station 2 of the remote control device, its components and the user's body parts located in the field of view of the live camera in real life as a live image and, on the other hand, shows the real or virtual representation of the machine environment and the machine components visible therein in the window areas 23 of the driver's cab wall 22 recorded by the live camera 16.

Claims

1. Remote-control device for a crane, a construction machine or an industrial truck, comprising a control station (2) which has at least one input means (18) for inputting control commands as well as a signal transmission device for transmitting the input control commands to the control device (25; 250) of the crane (200), the construction machine or the industrial truck, wherein the control station (2) is movably mounted and a drive device (8) for moving the control station (2) is provided, a display device (3) for displaying a representation of a working tool and / or of the machine environment, as well as a movement determination module (10) for determining movements and / or deformations of machine components such as a crane boom or load hook as a function of the input control commands, characterized in that the movement determination module (10) has a determination device for determining deformations of structural components of the machine to be simulated as a function of control commands input at the control station (2), wherein said determination device has a computer unit (11) for calculating the deformations on the basis of a stored deformation model of the structural components, wherein a control device for actuating the drive device (8) as a function of the deformations of the structural components determined by the movement determination module (10) is provided, wherein a configuration module for the selective pre-configuration of the remote-control device for one of several machine types is provided.

2. Remote-control device according to the preceding claim, wherein a graphical simulation module (9) for calculating a virtual representation of the machine environment and / or of machine components visible from the control station (2) is provided, wherein the graphical simulation module (9) is configured for generating the virtual representation as a function of the calculated deformations of the structural components.

3. Remote-control device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control station (2) is mounted so as to be movable in multiple axes, preferably on a motion platform (7) into which the drive device (8) is integrated, and the drive device (8) has several movement axes (x, y, z), preferably comprising several rotational movement axes and / or several translational movement axes, which are actuatable as a function of control commands input at the control station (2).

4. Remote-control device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one camera (210) for providing a live image of the working tool and / or of the machine environment is provided and the control station (2) has at least one image receiver for receiving the live image of the camera (210), which live image underlies the representation displayed on the display device (3).

5. Remote-control device according to claim 4, wherein the at least one camera (210) is mounted on a remote-controlled flying drone (209), wherein (a) a position control device (13) for position-controlling the flying drone (209) has an automatic follow-control module for actuating the flying drone (209) as a function of a machine position and / or a working-tool position in such a way that the flying drone (209) automatically follows machine movements, in particular working-tool movements, and maintains a desired position relative to the machine and / or its working tool even during machine movements, in particular working-tool movements, and / or (b) a / the position control device (13) has an autonomous control module for autonomously remote-controlling the flying drone (209) in such a way that various desired positions relative to the machine and / or its working tool are approached by the flying drone (209).

6. Remote-control device according to one of the preceding claims 4 to 5, wherein at least one camera (110) for providing a live image of the machine environment is mounted on the crane (200), on the construction machine or on the industrial truck, in particular on a driver's cabin (206) with a viewing direction at least approximately onto the working tool.

7. Remote-control device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control station (2) comprises a driver's cab wall in which viewing windows are formed, wherein said viewing windows are colored in a specific color, wherein the graphical simulation module (9) and / or the superimposition device (17) has a color-sensitive insertion unit for inserting the representation of the machine environment into the image areas of the live image provided by the camera (16) that are colored in the aforementioned specific color.

8. Remote-control device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the configuration module has a configuration component for adapting the input means of the control station (2) to the selected machine type and / or a configuration component for adapting parameters of the movement determination module (10) to the respectively selected machine type.

9. Remote-control device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the graphical simulation module (9) has a data interface for importing structure data and / or construction-site data and has an image processing device for generating and / or adapting the virtual representation of the machine environment as a function of the imported construction-site data and / or structure data.

10. Remote-control device according to claim 9, wherein said data interface is a CAD interface and the image processing device is configured for generating and / or adapting the virtual representation of the machine environment as a function of the CAD data imported via the CAD interface, and / or is an image-data interface and the image processing device is configured for generating and / or adapting the virtual representation of the machine environment as a function of the preferably digital image data imported via the image-data interface.

11. System comprising a remote-control device (1) which is configured according to one of claims 1-10, as well as a crane, a construction machine or an industrial truck, wherein between the crane, the construction machine and / or the industrial truck on the one hand and the remote-control device (1) on the other hand a communication connection is provided, via which control commands input at the control station (2) of the remote-control device (1) are transmittable to the control device of the crane, the construction machine and / or the industrial truck.