Autonomous driving information calculation system and autonomous driving information calculation method

Abstract

Provided are a system and a method with which information for autonomous driving of a construction machine can be acquired simply by designating an operation of a work member. The system comprises a relay operation information calculation unit. The relay operation information calculation unit calculates relay operation information pertaining to an operation of a relay mechanism on the basis of work operation information that is set for the operation of the work member. The work member performs a work operation for realizing a prescribed work application in the construction machine. The work operation information includes a plurality of operation information elements, and the plurality of operation information elements include elapsed time, work member position information, and work member orientation information.

Description

Autonomous driving information calculation system and autonomous driving information calculation method

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for calculating information for automatic operation of a construction machine.

[0002] In recent years, "unmanned construction," in which construction work is carried out using unmanned construction machinery, has been put to practical use. Unmanned construction can be broadly divided into remote-controlled and automatic driving. In the remote-controlled type, a person stands at a distance from the construction machinery and operates the machinery by operating a wireless control transmitter. In the automatic driving type, the construction machinery is automatically operated by a computer executing a program that incorporates processing to command a series of tasks.

[0003] Regarding automated construction using construction machinery, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes using a technique based on so-called teaching data and playback to have a hydraulic excavator automatically perform work in response to the approach of a truck.

[0004] However, the technology is limited to specific construction machines. Specifically, creating a program for conventional automated driving requires calculations based on various conditions and parameters specific to the construction machine to cause the applicable construction machine to perform a specific operation. Therefore, even if multiple construction machines are of the same type, i.e., they share the same components (hereinafter referred to as "working components") for their intended work purpose, calculations are required to create a program for each of the construction machines. For example, even for multiple backhoes that share the same bucket, an automated driving program must be created for each backhoe based on the manufacturer and specifications (e.g., bucket capacity).

[0005] Furthermore, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, in order to create a program, it is necessary to calculate the angles of the rotating body, boom, arm, and bucket as control targets, respectively, which makes the calculations complicated.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-183665

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic driving information calculation system and an automatic driving information calculation method that can easily calculate automatic driving information.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, attention has been focused on the fact that the operation of working members that are commonly included in construction machines of the same type can be commonly used for the automatic operation of multiple construction machines.

[0009] Provided is a system for calculating information for the automatic operation of a construction machine, the system including a relay operation information calculation unit. The construction machine includes a machine body, a relay mechanism connected to the machine body, and a work member attached to the relay mechanism. The work member is a member that performs a work operation to realize the work purpose of the construction machine. The relay mechanism is interposed between the machine body and the work member and is configured to move the work member relative to the machine body. The relay operation information calculation unit calculates relay operation information based on work operation information set for the work member. The work operation information includes multiple operation information elements, each of which includes elapsed time, work member position information which is information about the position of a preset point on the work member at the elapsed time, and work member attitude information which is information about the attitude of the work member at the elapsed time. The work member position information is three-dimensional coordinates in a coordinate system whose origin is a reference point preset on the machine body. The relay operation information calculation unit calculates the relay operation information so that the position and posture of the work member at the elapsed time of each of the operation information elements match the work member position information and the work member posture information of the operation information elements, respectively.

[0010] Also provided is a method for calculating relay operation information for automatic operation of the construction machine, the method comprising: an operation information setting step; an operation information calculation step; wherein work operation information regarding the operation of a work member is set in the operation information setting step; and wherein relay operation information regarding the operation of the relay mechanism is calculated based on the work operation information in the relay operation information calculation step.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an automatic driving information calculation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a hydraulic excavator before excavating the ground. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a hydraulic excavator excavating the ground. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a plurality of construction blocks that divide an area to be excavated by the hydraulic excavator. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a movement trajectory of the bucket of the hydraulic excavator during ground excavation. FIG. 6 is a table showing work operation information for the hydraulic excavator. FIG. 7 is a side view showing a set point set in the bucket and equipment attitude information. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a coordinate origin set in the machine body of the hydraulic excavator and a coordinate system based thereon. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an example of excavation along a boundary wall within a construction area. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an automatic driving information calculation method according to the embodiment.

[0012] The technology disclosed below focuses on the working member of a construction machine. The working member is the part that directly performs the target work, which is the main purpose of the construction machine. The operation, or behavior, of the working member is set, and the construction machine is controlled to make the working member perform the set operation. If the construction machine is a hydraulic excavator, the working member is a bucket, and the operation of the bucket is set in advance, and a relay mechanism included in the hydraulic excavator is controlled to make the bucket perform the set operation. The relay mechanism is a mechanism that moves the working member relative to the main body of the construction machine, and in the case of a hydraulic excavator, it includes a boom, an arm, and multiple hydraulic cylinders.

[0013] Many construction machinery manufacturers have developed automated driving technologies for construction machinery. Typically, to have a construction machine perform a specialized task, control information, which is information related to automated driving, is calculated by analyzing the respective operations of the relay mechanism, the working member, and the main body, and each member is controlled according to the control information. While construction machinery manufacturers who are familiar with the configuration of construction machinery are able to obtain control information for achieving the desired operation, they are not necessarily as knowledgeable about specialized tasks as the operators who actually operate the construction machinery. For example, construction machinery manufacturers do not necessarily have a detailed understanding of how a hydraulic excavator bucket should operate to excavate ground.

[0014] In the technology disclosed below, work operation information, which is information related to the operation of the work member, is set, relay operation information, which is information related to the operation of the relay mechanism, is calculated based on the work operation information, and control information is composed of the work operation information and the relay operation information. This makes it possible for the relay operation information to be calculated by a system provided by a construction machinery manufacturer or the like that is familiar with the configuration of construction machinery, based on work operation information set by an operator or the like who is familiar with the operation of construction machinery.

[0015] The technology disclosed below can be applied to a construction machine including the operation mechanism and the working member. Examples of the construction machine include a bulldozer, a vibratory roller vehicle, and a dump truck. In the bulldozer, the working member is a blade, and the relay mechanism includes a cylinder that moves the blade. In the vibratory roller vehicle, the working member is a roller, and the relay mechanism includes an arm that supports the roller. In the dump truck, the working member is a loading platform, and the relay mechanism includes a cylinder that dumps up the loading platform.

[0016] Next, an automatic driving information calculation system and an automatic driving information calculation method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows an autonomous driving information calculation system 100 and multiple construction machines according to the embodiment, which constitute an autonomous driving system. The multiple construction machines include construction machine 120A and construction machine 120B. The autonomous driving information calculation system 100 includes a processing device 110. The autonomous driving information calculation system 100 may further include at least one of the construction machines 120A and 120B. The processing device 110 includes a relay operation information calculation unit 111, and in the embodiment, further includes an information input unit 112 and a management-side transceiver unit 113. Each of the construction machines 120A and 120B includes a machine main body 121, a relay mechanism 122, a work member 123, a relay operation control unit 124, a measurement unit 125, and a machine-side transceiver unit 126.

[0018] The relay operation information calculation unit 111 may be a dedicated unit or may be configured using a general-purpose computer device. In the latter example, the function of the relay operation information calculation unit 111 is realized by causing the computer device to execute calculation processing according to a predetermined program. The computer device includes a processor such as a CPU, memory such as ROM and RAM, input means such as a mouse and keyboard, and a display, and executes calculation processing according to a predetermined program. Examples of the computer device include personal computers (PCs), servers, tablet PCs, and mobile terminals including smartphones.

[0019] The arithmetic processing device 110 can be located in a location away from the work site, such as the control building or supervisor's station shown in FIG. 1 . Alternatively, a computer device including the relay operation information calculation unit 111 and the information input unit 112 may be mounted on a construction machine, as in the construction machine 120B shown in FIG. 1 . The relay operation information calculation unit 111 accepts work operation information, which is information about the operation of a work member, as input information to the relay operation information calculation unit 111, and calculates relay operation information, which is information about the operation of the relay mechanism 122, based on the work operation information. The relay operation control unit 124 acquires the relay operation information and controls the operation of the relay mechanism 122 in accordance with the relay operation information. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , since the arithmetic processing device 110 is located in the control building, the control-side transceiver unit 113 transmits the relay operation information to the machine-side transceiver unit 126 wirelessly or via a wired connection, and the machine-side transceiver unit 126 transmits the relay operation information to the relay operation control unit 124.

[0020] The automatic driving information calculation system 100 may control only one type of construction machine, or may simultaneously control multiple types of construction machines, such as the construction machines 120A and 120B shown in FIG. 1 . The automatic driving information calculation system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 can simultaneously control two types of construction machines 120A and 120B. For example, a backhoe and a dump truck can be simultaneously controlled at the same construction site. The automatic driving information calculation system 100 calculates relay operation information for each of the multiple construction machines 120, such as relay operation information for each of the construction machines 120A and 120B in the example of FIG. 1 . The automatic driving information calculation system 100 also enables multiple construction machines of the same type, such as multiple construction machines 120A or multiple construction machines 120B, to be simultaneously controlled. For example, two backhoes and three dump trucks can be simultaneously controlled at the same construction site.

[0021] 2A and 2B show a hydraulic excavator 120E, an example of the construction machine. FIG. 2A shows the hydraulic excavator 120E in a state before excavating the ground, and FIG. 2B shows the hydraulic excavator 120E in a state during excavation. The machine body 121 of the hydraulic excavator 120E includes an upper rotating body including a cab (driver's seat) and a lower traveling body including a pair of traveling members such as crawlers. The relay mechanism 122 is interposed between the machine body 121 and a bucket 123B corresponding to the working member 123, and is capable of moving the working member 123 relative to the machine body 121 to cause the working member 123 to perform a work operation. Specifically, the relay mechanism 122 includes a boom 122B, an arm 122A, a boom cylinder 122C1, an arm cylinder 122C2, and a bucket cylinder 122C3. The boom 122B has a base end and a tip end on the opposite side, and the base end is connected to the machine body 121 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The arm 122A has a base end and a tip end on the opposite side, and the base end is connected to the tip end of the boom 122B so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The bucket 123B is connected to the tip end of the arm 122A so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The relay operation control unit 124 extends and retracts the boom cylinder 122C1 to control the operation of the boom 122B relative to the machine body 121, extends and retracts the arm cylinder 122C2 to control the operation of the arm 122A relative to the boom 122B, and extends and retracts the bucket cylinder 122C3 to control the operation of the bucket 123B relative to the arm 122A.

[0022] The measurement unit 125 measures the condition of the work object in the target area, which is the area to be worked on, or the ground, which is the object to be excavated in the case of the hydraulic excavator 120E. For example, when the target area is divided into a plurality of construction blocks BL01, BL02, ..., BL15 as illustrated in Figure 3 and the ground is excavated for each construction block, it is necessary to grasp the shape and dimensions of the ground in the target area, and the measurement unit 125 measures the information necessary for the division of the ground in the target area. Furthermore, the measurements by the measurement unit 125 also make it possible to grasp the progress of the ground excavation and the finished shape after excavation.

[0023] The measurement unit 125 includes, for example, a laser measuring device that performs measurements using a laser sensor, an imaging device such as a camera or video camera for performing photographic measurements, for example, measurements using a set of two stereo pair images, and a total station.

[0024] The relay movement information calculation unit 111 calculates the relay movement information based on the work movement information, which is the input information. The work movement information is information related to the work movement of the work member 123, and the work movement is the movement of the work member 123 for performing a target work, which is a main target work of the construction machine. For example, the main target work of the hydraulic excavator 120E includes excavating the ground and loading earth and sand, and the work movement information is information related to the work movement of the work member 123, i.e., the bucket 123B in the case of the hydraulic excavator 120E, from the start to the end of the main target work.

[0025] The work movement information is a collection of information about the position and posture of the bucket 123B, which change from moment to moment from the start to the end of the target work, and is information about the work member trajectory. The work member trajectory is the trajectory of the work member 123 during the target work, and in the case of the hydraulic excavator 120E, it is the trajectory of the bucket 123B performing ground excavation along arrow 150 shown in FIG. 4. The work movement information includes an elapsed time specified by the time elapsed since the start of a dedicated work, work member position information, which is information about the position of the work member 123, e.g., the bucket 123B, at the elapsed time, and work member posture information, which is information about the posture of the work member 123, e.g., the bucket 123B, at the elapsed time. The work movement information is composed of multiple movement information elements, and each of the multiple movement information elements is a combination of the elapsed time and the work member position information and work member posture information corresponding to the elapsed time. In other words, the work movement information is composed of the multiple movement information elements arranged along the work member trajectory.

[0026] 5 shows an example of the plurality of motion information elements. In this example, a total of 19 points (points 1 to 19) are set along the trajectory of the work member from the start to the end of the work, and 19 motion information elements corresponding to each point are acquired. Each of the motion information elements consists of the elapsed time (seconds) from the start of the work, the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the bucket cutting edge position, and the bucket tilt angle θ (deg).

[0027] The working member position information is the coordinates of a set point that has been set in advance at an arbitrary location on the working member 123. For example, in the bucket 123B, the set point may be set at the cutting edge 123t in the center of the bucket 123B as shown in FIG. 6A , or may be set at the center of the back surface of the bucket 123B. The coordinates that constitute the working member position information are preferably coordinates in a three-dimensional coordinate system that has as its origin a reference point that has been set in advance at an arbitrary location on the machine body 121. For example, in the hydraulic excavator 120E, the reference point, i.e., the coordinate origin, may be set at the center 121c of the machine body 121 in a plan view as shown in FIG. 6B , such as the center of rotation of the upper rotating body, or may be set at an arbitrary point above the cab.

[0028] The work member posture information regarding the posture of the work member 123 is, for example, the inclination angle of a reference plane selected for the work member 123. For the bucket 123B, for example, the back surface 123s of the bucket 123B as shown in FIG. 6B is used as the reference plane, and the angle of the back surface 123s with respect to a horizontal plane, i.e., the inclination angle θ, is selected as the work member posture information. The reference plane may alternatively be the opening plane of the bucket 123B. Also, the angle of the reference plane with respect to a vertical plane may be selected as the work member posture information. Alternatively, the work member posture information may be configured using two reference points instead of the angle. In this case, the inclination angle of the work member 123 can be determined by the three-dimensional coordinates of the two reference points. For example, if the two reference points are set on the back surface 123s of the bucket 123B, the inclination angle θ of the back surface 123s can be determined based on the three-dimensional coordinates of the two reference points.

[0029] The work operation information consisting of a series of the operation information elements can be set based on the experience and knowledge of an expert who is familiar with the operation of the construction machines 120A, 120B, or it can be set by a simulation in which a virtual model of the construction machines 120A, 120B is operated using, for example, 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design). Alternatively, a skilled operator can actually operate the construction machines 120A, 120B while periodically measuring the elapsed time, working member position information, and working member attitude information, and set the work operation information based on the measurement results.

[0030] The relay operation information calculation unit 111 calculates the relay operation information so that the position and posture of the working member 123 at each of the elapsed times conform to the working member position information and working member posture information, respectively, i.e., so that the position of the set point of the working member 123 becomes the position related to the working member position information and so that the reference plane of the working member 123 becomes the posture related to the working member posture information. The relay operation information is preferably calculated based on parameters specific to the construction machine 120, such as member dimensions and capacity. In other words, the work operation information does not depend on the type of construction machine 120, but it is preferable that the relay operation information is calculated according to the construction machine 120. Because the work operation information is a collection of the multiple operation information elements for each elapsed time and is discrete data, the relay operation information calculation unit 111 calculates the relay operation information so as to complement adjacent operation information elements. Therefore, it is preferable to set an upper limit (for example, 0.5 seconds) on the time interval between adjacent motion information elements, or to set an upper limit (for example, 300 mm) on the point-to-point distance between adjacent motion information elements.

[0031] The relay operation information calculation unit 111 may calculate the relay operation information under the condition that the relay mechanism 122 does not perform horizontal rotation, which is rotation around a substantially vertical axis (including the vertical axis), or may calculate the relay operation information under the condition that the relay mechanism 122 performs the horizontal rotation. For example, if the control target is a series of operations in which a bucket 123B descends from above toward the ground to excavate the ground and scoop up the excavated soil, as shown in Fig. 2, the relay operation information may be calculated under a rotation constraint condition in which the relay mechanism 122 including the boom 122B and the arm 122A does not perform horizontal rotation.

[0032] On the other hand, if the objects of control also include operations such as, after the bucket 123B has scooped up the excavated soil, the boom 122B and the arm 122A swing horizontally to move the bucket 123B to the bed of a dump truck, the bucket 123B discharging the excavated soil onto the bed, and leveling the excavated soil on the bed, then the relay operation information may be calculated under a swing condition in which the relay mechanism 122 including the boom 122B and the arm 122A swings horizontally. Also, as shown in Figure 7, if a boundary wall 140 is installed within the construction area and excavation is required along the boundary wall 140, the relay operation information may be calculated under the swing condition.

[0033] As described above, when the measurement unit 125 measures the shape of the work object in the target area to set the multiple construction blocks shown in Figure 3, the relay movement information calculation unit 111 acquires the coordinates of the position of each construction block and calculates relay movement information based on those coordinates, but it is not necessary to change the work movement information for each construction block. In other words, even if the movements of the boom 122B and the arm 122A differ depending on the construction block, the movement of the bucket 123B is considered to be constant regardless of the construction block, and the relay movement information is calculated. When excavating the ground for each construction block, when setting work movement information for one cycle of excavation work, that is, the work from lowering the bucket 123B to scooping up the excavated soil, the relay movement information is calculated under the swing constraint condition, and when setting work movement information for the entire work until the excavation of all the construction blocks is completed, the relay movement information is calculated under the swing condition.

[0034] The information input unit 112 included in the arithmetic processing device 110 inputs the work movement information to the relay movement information calculation unit 111. The information input unit 112 includes, for example, a pointing device (such as a mouse, a touch panel, a pen tablet, a touchpad, a trackpad, or a trackball), a keyboard, etc.

[0035] Next, the method for calculating autonomous driving information according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The central column of Fig. 8 shows the main steps of the intrusion detection method according to this embodiment, the left column shows information required for the steps, and the right column shows information provided by the steps.

[0036] For automatic operation of the construction machine 120, model construction is first performed (Step 201). In the model construction, it is preferable that an ideal dedicated task is performed by, for example, a skilled operator. While the operator is operating the construction machine 120, measuring devices such as a laser measuring device, an image acquisition unit for photographic measurement, and a total station periodically acquire operation information elements (operation information element acquisition process). Once all operation information elements, i.e., the entire series of operation information elements along the work member trajectory, have been acquired, work operation information is set based on the operation information elements (Step 202: operation information setting process).

[0037] When actually performing the dedicated work, the measurement unit 125 measures the shape of the work object in the target area (Step 203). Based on the measurement result and the work operation information, the relay operation information calculation unit 111 calculates the relay operation information (Step 204: relay operation information calculation step). In order to set the construction block as shown in Figure 3, it is preferable to obtain coordinates indicating the position of the construction block and calculate the relay operation information based on the coordinates.

[0038] According to the relay operation information calculated as described above, the relay operation control unit 124 controls the operation of the relay mechanism 122 (Step 205), whereby the working member 123 performs the dedicated work (Step 206).

[0039] As described above, an automatic driving information calculation system and an automatic driving information calculation method are provided that can easily calculate automatic driving information.

[0040] Provided is a system for calculating information for the automatic operation of a construction machine, the system including a relay operation information calculation unit. The construction machine includes a machine body, a relay mechanism connected to the machine body, and a work member attached to the relay mechanism. The work member is a member that performs a work operation to realize the work purpose of the construction machine. The relay mechanism is interposed between the machine body and the work member and is configured to move the work member relative to the machine body. The relay operation information calculation unit calculates relay operation information based on work operation information set for the work member. The work operation information includes multiple operation information elements, each of which includes elapsed time, work member position information which is information about the position of a preset point on the work member at the elapsed time, and work member attitude information which is information about the attitude of the work member at the elapsed time. The work member position information is three-dimensional coordinates in a coordinate system whose origin is a reference point preset on the machine body. The relay operation information calculation unit calculates the relay operation information so that the position and posture of the work member at the elapsed time of each of the operation information elements match the work member position information and the work member posture information of the operation information elements, respectively.

[0041] In the system, the operation of a work member that is commonly included in the same type of construction machine can be specified to cause the construction machine to automatically perform a predetermined task, which allows the system to be used for multiple construction machines that include a common work member.

[0042] For example, specifying the work operations of the work members that realize the work purpose of the construction machine, such as digging the ground or loading earth and sand with a hydraulic excavator, makes it possible to instruct the construction machine to perform realistic, feasible, and stable operations.

[0043] Furthermore, automatic operation of the construction machine is possible simply by specifying the operation of the work members, which eliminates the need for cumbersome processing such as calculating the operation of each of the many work members that make up the construction machine.

[0044] Also provided is an autonomous driving system including the autonomous driving information calculation system and the construction machine. The construction machine further includes a relay operation control unit that controls the operation of the relay mechanism based on the relay operation information calculated by the relay operation information calculation unit. For example, if the construction machine is a hydraulic excavator, the work member is a bucket for excavating the ground or loading earth and sand, the relay mechanism includes an arm, a boom, and multiple hydraulic cylinders, and the relay operation control unit controls the movement of the hydraulic cylinders so that the operation of the relay mechanism conforms to the relay operation information.

[0045] The relay operation information calculation unit may calculate the relay operation information on the condition that the rotation of the relay mechanism is restricted, or may calculate the relay operation information on the condition that the relay mechanism is capable of rotating.

[0046] Also provided is a method for calculating relay operation information for automatic operation of the construction machine, the method comprising: an operation information setting step; an operation information calculation step; wherein work operation information regarding the operation of a work member is set in the operation information setting step; and wherein relay operation information regarding the operation of the relay mechanism is calculated based on the work operation information in the relay operation information calculation step.

[0047] The automatic driving information calculation method may further include a motion information element acquisition step, in which the plurality of motion information elements are acquired during an operator's operation of the construction machine, and a motion information setting step, in which the work motion information is set based on the plurality of motion information elements acquired in the motion information element acquisition step.

Claims

1. A system for calculating information for automatic operation of a construction machine, the construction machine including a machine body, a relay mechanism connected to the machine body, and a work member attached to the relay mechanism, the work member performing a work operation for realizing a work purpose of the construction machine, the relay mechanism being interposed between the machine body and the work member and configured to move the work member relative to the machine body, the system including a relay operation information calculation unit that calculates relay operation information based on work operation information related to the work member, the work operation information including a plurality of operation information elements, each of which includes an elapsed time, work member position information which is information about the position of a set point preset on the work member at the elapsed time, and work member posture information which is information about the posture of the work member at the elapsed time, the work member position information being three-dimensional coordinates in a coordinate system having a reference point preset on the machine body as its origin, The relay operation information calculation unit calculates the relay operation information so that the position and posture of the work member at the elapsed time of each of the operation information elements conform to the work member position information and the work member posture information of the operation information elements, respectively.

2. An automated driving system comprising the automated driving information calculation system according to claim 1 and a construction machine, the construction machine including a machine body, a relay mechanism connected to the machine body, a working member attached to the relay mechanism, and a relay operation control unit, the working member performing a work operation for achieving a work purpose of the construction machine, the relay mechanism being interposed between the machine body and the working member and configured to move the working member relative to the machine body, and the relay operation control unit controlling the operation of the relay mechanism based on the relay operation information calculated by the relay operation information calculation unit.

3. An automated driving system as described in claim 2, wherein the construction machine is a hydraulic excavator, the working member is a bucket for excavating the ground or loading soil and gravel, the relay mechanism includes an arm, a boom, and a plurality of hydraulic cylinders, and the relay operation control unit controls the movement of the plurality of hydraulic cylinders so that the operation of the relay mechanism conforms to the relay operation information.

4. An automatic driving information calculation system as described in claim 1, wherein the relay operation information calculation unit calculates the relay operation information under the condition that the rotation of the relay mechanism is restricted.

5. An automatic driving information calculation system as described in claim 1, wherein the relay operation information calculation unit calculates the relay operation information on the condition that the relay mechanism is capable of turning.

6. A method for obtaining information for automatic operation of a construction machine, the construction machine including a machine body, a relay mechanism connected to the machine body, and a work member attached to the relay mechanism, the work member performing a work operation for realizing a work purpose of the construction machine, and the relay mechanism being interposed between the machine body and the work member and configured to move the work member relative to the machine body, the method comprising: an operation information setting step of setting work operation information regarding the operation of the work member; and a relay operation information calculation step of calculating relay operation information regarding the operation of the relay mechanism based on the work operation information, the work operation information including a plurality of operation information elements, each of which includes an elapsed time, work member position information which is information regarding the position of a specific point preset on the work member at the elapsed time, and work member posture information which is information regarding the posture of the work member at the elapsed time, the work member position information being three-dimensional coordinates in a coordinate system having an origin at a reference point preset on the machine body, An automatic driving information calculation method, in which, in the relay operation information calculation process, the relay operation information is calculated so that the position and posture of the work member at the elapsed time of each of the operation information elements conform to the work member position information and the work member posture information of the operation information element, respectively.

7. An automatic driving information calculation method as described in claim 6, further comprising an operation information element acquisition step of acquiring the plurality of operation information elements in the operation of the construction machine by an operator, and in the operation information setting step, the work operation information is set based on the plurality of operation information elements acquired in the operation information element acquisition step.

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