Management system and management method

Abstract

This management system comprises: a log storage unit that stores data pertaining to the operation of a work machine and vital data of an operator who operates the work machine; a first determination unit that determines, from the vital data of the operator, whether the amount of change in the vital data has exceeded a threshold value; and a second determination unit that determines, from the data pertaining to the operation of the work machine, whether the work machine has been abnormally operated. The management system further comprises an output unit that, on the basis of the determination result from the first determination unit and the determination result from the second determination unit, associates the operator during operation of the work machine with the work process pertaining to said operation and outputs the same.

Description

Management system and management method

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-049471, filed on March 26, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for estimating the stress state and fatigue level of a work machine operator from the operator's vital signs, and determining whether or not to permit the operator to operate the machine.

[0003] JP 2018-131890 A

[0004] Incidentally, there are various work processes in work using work machines. Strengths and weaknesses in the various work processes vary depending on the operator. The frequency with which an operator's unsafe events occur in a work process varies depending on the operator's strengths and weaknesses. When performing work at a work site, it is preferable to predict unsafe events caused by an operator in a work process assigned to that operator. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a management system and management method that can predict unsafe events caused by an operator in a work process assigned to that operator.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a management system comprises: a log memory unit that stores data related to the operation of a work machine and vital data of an operator operating the work machine; a first determination unit that determines, from the operator's vital data, whether an amount of change in the vital data exceeds a threshold; and a second determination unit that determines, from the data related to the operation of the work machine, whether an emergency operation has been performed on the work machine; and an output unit that outputs the operator at the time of operating the work machine in association with the work process related to the operation, based on the determination result of whether the amount of change in the vital data has exceeded the threshold and the determination result of whether the emergency operation has been performed.

[0006] According to the above aspect, the management system can allow a user to recognize information related to an unsafe event that has occurred due to an operation by an operator in a work process.

[0007] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a management system according to a first embodiment; Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a work machine according to a first embodiment; Fig. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a control device according to a first embodiment; Fig. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a management device according to a first embodiment; Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a method for detecting an unsafe event by a control device according to a first embodiment; Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a method for presenting an unsafe event by a management system according to a first embodiment;

[0008] First Embodiment Configuration of Management System 1 Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a management system 1 according to a first embodiment. The management system 1 presents information on the risk of unsafe events for each operator's work process to a work site manager. By visually checking the risk information, the manager can recognize the characteristics of the operator and adjust the work plan according to the operator's strengths and weaknesses. The work site manager is an example of a user of the management system 1.

[0009] The management system 1 includes a work machine 100, a management device 300, and a user terminal 500. The work machine 100, the management device 300, and the user terminal 500 are communicably connected via a network.

[0010] If the work machine 100 is, for example, a hydraulic excavator, it operates at a work site and performs work such as excavating earth and sand. The work machine 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a hydraulic excavator, but in other embodiments, it may be another work machine. Examples of the work machine 100 include a bulldozer, a dump truck, a forklift, a wheel loader, and a motor grader. For example, the work machine 100 may be a compaction machine or a forestry machine. Furthermore, the work machine 100 may be electrically driven or hydraulically driven.

[0011] The management device 300 generates information on the risk of unsafe events for each operator's work process. The user terminal 500 displays or prints the information generated by the management device 300.

[0012] <Configuration of Work Machine 100> Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the work machine 100 according to the first embodiment. The work machine 100 comprises a traveling body 110, a revolving body 120, a work implement 130, and a cab 140. The work implement 130 comprises a boom 131, an arm 132, and a bucket 133 as a working implement. The cab 140 is a space where an operator sits and operates the work machine 100. An operating device 143 is provided within the cab 140. The operating device 143 is a device for driving the traveling body 110, the revolving body 120, and the work implement 130 by manual operation by the operator.

[0013] <Configuration of control device 160> Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 160 according to the first embodiment. The work machine 100 is equipped with the control device 160. The control device 160 receives operation signals from the operating device. The control device 160 drives the work implement 130, the revolving body 120, and the traveling body 110 by outputting operation signals to control valves. The control device 160 also detects unsafe events related to the operation of the work machine 100, and sends the detected events to the management device 300.

[0014] The control device 160 is a computer including a processor 610, a main memory 630, a storage 650, and an interface 670. The storage 650 stores a program. The processor 610 reads the program from the storage 650, loads it into the main memory 630, and executes processing in accordance with the program.

[0015] Examples of storage 650 include semiconductor memory, magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, optical disks, etc. Storage 650 may be an internal medium directly connected to a common communication line of control device 160, or may be an external medium connected to control device 160 via interface 670. Main memory 630 and storage 650 are non-transitory tangible storage media.

[0016] An operator according to the first embodiment wears a vital sensor 800. The vital sensor 800 measures the operator's vital signs (heart rate, skin potential, brain waves, etc.). Hereinafter, measurement data of the vital sensor 800 will also be referred to as vital data. The vital sensor 800 according to the first embodiment measures the heart rate. The vital sensor 800 may be a wearable device such as an activity monitor. The vital sensor 800 is connected to the control device 160 via an interface 670. The connection between the vital sensor 800 and the interface 670 may be wired or wireless.

[0017] The work machine 100 according to the first embodiment is equipped with a measuring device 101 for detecting the work state of the work machine 100. The measuring device 101 is equipped with a plurality of sensors. The measuring device 101 is equipped with, for example, a position and orientation detector, a tilt detector, a traveling acceleration sensor, a boom angle sensor, an arm angle sensor, and a bucket angle sensor. Hereinafter, the measurement data acquired from the measuring device 101 will also be referred to as vehicle data. The measuring device 101 is connected to the control device 160 via an interface 670.

[0018] The position and orientation detector calculates the position of the rotating unit 120 in the on-site coordinate system and the orientation of the rotating unit 120. The position and orientation detector has two antennas that receive positioning signals from artificial satellites that make up the GNSS. The position and orientation detector detects the position of the rotating unit 120 based on the positioning signal received by at least one of the two antennas, and detects the orientation of the rotating unit 120 based on the positioning signal received by each of the two antennas. The tilt detector measures the acceleration and angular velocity of the rotating unit 120 and detects the tilt (e.g., roll angle and pitch angle) of the rotating unit 120 with respect to the horizontal plane based on the measurement results. An example of the tilt detector is an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit).

[0019] The traveling acceleration sensor detects acceleration associated with the traveling of the work machine 100. The boom angle sensor is provided on a pin connecting the revolving unit 120 and the boom 131, and detects the boom angle, which is the rotation angle of the boom 131 relative to the revolving unit 120. The arm angle sensor is provided on a pin connecting the boom 131 and the arm 132, and detects the arm angle, which is the rotation angle of the arm 132 relative to the boom 131. The bucket angle sensor is provided on a pin connecting the arm 132 and the bucket 133, and detects the bucket angle, which is the rotation angle of the bucket 133 relative to the arm 132.

[0020] By executing the program, the processor 610 is equipped with a vital data acquisition unit 611, a vehicle data acquisition unit 612, an operation signal input unit 613, a log memory unit 614, a first judgment unit 615, a second judgment unit 616, a process identification unit 617, a detection unit 618, and an output unit 619.

[0021] The vital data acquisition unit 611 acquires vital data from the vital sensor 800. The vital data acquisition unit 611 associates the acquired vital data with the acquisition time and records it in the log storage unit 614. The vehicle data acquisition unit 612 acquires vehicle data from the measuring device 101. The vehicle data acquisition unit 612 associates the acquired vehicle data with the acquisition time and records it in the log storage unit 614.

[0022] The operation signal input unit 613 receives input of an operation signal from the operation device 143. The operation signals include a drive signal for performing a raising or lowering operation of the boom 131, a drive signal for performing a dumping or digging operation of the arm 132, a drive signal for performing a dumping or digging operation of the bucket 133, a drive signal for performing a right-swing or left-swing operation of the rotating unit 120, and a drive signal for performing a traveling operation of the traveling unit 110. The operation signal input unit 613 records the operation signal in the log storage unit 614 in association with the acquisition time.

[0023] The log storage unit 614 stores the operator's vital data, the vehicle data of the work machine 100, and the log data of the operation signals. The vital data, vehicle data, and operation signals stored in the log storage unit 614 form a time series.

[0024] The first determination unit 615 identifies the timing at which the operator felt tension from the time series of vital data recorded in the log storage unit 614. The first determination unit 615 determines that the operator felt tension, for example, when the amount of change in the instantaneous heart rate exceeds a predetermined threshold. In general, when a defensive reaction to a stimulus occurs in a human, the instantaneous heart rate increases, and when a localization reaction to a stimulus occurs, the instantaneous heart rate decreases. Therefore, the first determination unit 615 can determine whether the operator felt tension based on the amount of change in the instantaneous heart rate. In other embodiments, the first determination unit 615 may determine whether the operator felt tension based on the amount of change in skin conductance, which is vital data.

[0025] The second determination unit 616 identifies the timing at which an emergency operation of the work machine 100 was performed by the operator, from the time series of the operation signal recorded in the log storage unit 614. An emergency operation is, for example, an operation performed as a temporary measure by the operator to recover from an erroneous operation or an unsafe event. An emergency operation results in a large change in the amount of operation because the operator is trying to quickly recover. Therefore, the second determination unit 616 determines that an emergency operation has been performed when the amount of change in the magnitude of the operation signal exceeds a predetermined threshold. An emergency operation is an example of an emergency operation, which is an abnormal operation of the work machine 100. The second determination unit 616 according to other embodiments may detect an erroneous operation as an emergency operation. The operation signal is an example of data related to the operation of the work machine 100.

[0026] The process identification unit 617 identifies the work process (slope formation, bottom formation, excavation and loading, movement, etc.) being performed by the work machine 100 from the time series of vehicle data recorded in the log storage unit 614. Specifically, the process identification unit 617 identifies the work process based on changes in the boom angle, arm angle, and bucket angle, as well as the orientation in which the work machine 100 is facing. For example, the process identification unit 617 can determine that the work process is slope formation when the cutting edge of the bucket 133 is moving along a slope of a known design surface. In addition, for example, the process identification unit 617 can determine that the work process is excavation and loading when the work implement 130 is moving up and down while the revolving unit 120 is rotating. In addition, for example, the process identification unit 617 can determine that the work process is movement when the revolving unit 120 and the work implement 130 are not driven and only the traveling unit 110 is driven.

[0027] The detection unit 618 detects the occurrence of an unsafe event in the work machine 100 based on the timing at which the first determination unit 615 determines that the operator has felt tension and the timing at which the second determination unit 616 determines that an emergency operation has been performed. The detection unit 618 determines that an unsafe event has occurred when the operator feels tension and an emergency operation is performed at the same time. When an unsafe event occurs, the operator performs an emergency operation to deal with the unsafe event. At this time, the operator is surprised by the occurrence of the unsafe event and feels tension. The emergency operation and tension do not necessarily occur at the same time; the operator may perform an emergency operation after feeling tension, or may feel tension after performing an emergency operation. In this embodiment, "simultaneous" refers to different events occurring within a certain period of time (for example, 2-3 seconds).

[0028] The output unit 619 transmits report data to the management device 300, the report data including the timing at which the unsafe event detected by the detection unit 618 occurred, the work process at that time, and the operator's identification information. The operator's identification information is read from the ID key, for example, when the work machine 100 is started. The output unit 619 may transmit the report data to the management device 300 by batch processing at a predetermined transmission timing, or may transmit the report data to the management device 300 in real time. When transmitting the report data by batch processing, the detection unit 618 records the report data in the storage 650, and the output unit 619 transmits this to the management device 300.

[0029] 4 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the management device 300 according to the first embodiment. The management device 300 is a computer including a processor 310, a main memory 330, a storage 350, and an interface 370.

[0030] Storage 350 is a non-transitory tangible storage medium. Examples of storage 350 include a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, and a semiconductor memory. Storage 350 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of management device 300, or an external medium connected to management device 300 via interface 370 or a communication line. Storage 350 stores a work planning program and work configuration data. The work configuration data includes information on multiple work processes that make up a work task and the duration of the work. The work planning program is a program for supporting planning work, which assigns operators to multiple work processes indicated by the work configuration data.

[0031] The work planning program may be for realizing some of the functions to be performed by the management device 300. For example, the work planning program may be combined with other programs already stored in the storage 350 or other programs implemented in other devices to achieve the functions. In other embodiments, the management device 300 may include a custom LSI in addition to or instead of the above configuration. In this case, some or all of the functions realized by the processor may be realized by the integrated circuit.

[0032] The processor 310 executes the work planning program to function as a receiving unit 311, an input unit 312, a calculation unit 313, and an output unit 314.

[0033] The receiving unit 311 receives report data including the timing at which an unsafe event occurred, the work process at that time, and the operator's identification information from the work machine 100. The receiving unit 311 records the received report data in the storage 350. As a result, data on the date and time at which an unsafe event occurred is recorded in the storage 350 for each operator and each work process.

[0034] The input unit 312 accepts input of a selection of an operator (target operator), a selection of a work process (target work process), and an instruction to allocate the operator to the work process from the user terminal 500. Based on the allocation instruction, the input unit 312 records the operator in association with the work process in the work configuration data.

[0035] The calculation unit 313 calculates the occurrence frequency of unsafe events based on the report data recorded in the storage 350. The occurrence frequency of unsafe events can be found, for example, by dividing the number of times a target work process by a target operator occurs by the time the target operator performs the target work process. For example, when the input unit 312 receives a selection of a target operator from a manager, the calculation unit 313 calculates the occurrence frequency of unsafe events for each work process for the target operator. Furthermore, for example, when the input unit 312 receives a selection of a target work process from a manager, the calculation unit 313 calculates the occurrence frequency of unsafe events for each operator for the selected target work process.

[0036] The output unit 314 outputs the occurrence frequency of unsafe events calculated by the calculation unit 313 to the user terminal 500. This allows the manager to recognize the occurrence frequency of unsafe events for each operator involved in the target work process, and to plan work processes including the allocation of operators, thereby preventing unsafe events from occurring. In other words, the manager can recognize the compatibility between operators and work processes and assign operators to work processes.

[0037] <<Method for detecting unsafe events>> Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a method for detecting unsafe events by the control device 160 according to the first embodiment. When the work machine 100 accepts an operation by the operator, the control device 160 starts the unsafe event detection processing shown in Fig. 5 .

[0038] The vital data acquisition unit 611, vehicle data acquisition unit 612, and operation signal input unit 613 acquire vital data, vehicle data, and operation signals at predetermined sampling periods, respectively, and record them in the log storage unit 614 (step S1).

[0039] The first determination unit 615 determines whether or not the operator felt tension based on the time series of the vital data recorded in the log storage unit 614 (step S2). Furthermore, the second determination unit 616 determines whether or not the operator performed an emergency operation of the work machine 100 based on the time series of the operation signal recorded in the log storage unit 614 (step S3).

[0040] Next, the detection unit 618 determines whether the timing at which the first determination unit 615 determines that the operator felt nervous and the timing at which the second determination unit 616 determines that an emergency operation was performed are simultaneous (step S4). That is, the detection unit 618 determines whether the difference between the timing at which the operator was determined to have felt nervous and the timing at which the emergency operation was performed is within a certain period of time. If the nervousness and the emergency operation are not simultaneous (step S4: NO), the detection unit 618 determines that an unsafe event has not occurred and terminates processing. For example, if the operator feels nervous but does not perform an emergency operation, it is highly likely that the nervousness is due to a surprise unrelated to the operation of the work machine 100, such as a sudden ringing of a cell phone. Such nervousness is different from an unsafe event. Furthermore, if the operator performs an emergency operation without feeling nervous, it is highly likely that the operation was a necessary operation performed calmly by the operator. Such an operation is an operation performed appropriately depending on the situation and is different from an unsafe event.

[0041] On the other hand, if it is determined that tension and emergency operation occurred simultaneously (step S4: YES), the detection unit 618 detects the occurrence of an unsafe event. The process identification unit 617 identifies the work process being performed by the work machine 100 from the time series of vehicle data recorded in the log storage unit 614 (step S5). The output unit 619 transmits report data to the management device 300, including the timing at which the unsafe event detected by the detection unit 618 occurred, the work process at that time, and the operator's identification information (step S6). The management device 300 records the received report data in the storage 350. This allows the report data to be accumulated in the management device 300.

[0042] 6 is a flowchart showing a method for presenting an unsafe event by the management system 1 according to the first embodiment. When the management device 300 receives access from the user terminal 500, the management device 300 presents information about the unsafe event to the user terminal 500 in accordance with the procedure shown in FIG.

[0043] First, the input unit 312 accepts the selection of a target operator or a target work process from the user terminal 500 (step S11). The calculation unit 313 calculates the occurrence frequency of unsafe events for each work process or each operator, based on the target operator or target work process input in step S11 (step S12). The output unit 314 outputs the occurrence frequency of unsafe events calculated in step S12 to the user terminal 500 (step S13).

[0044] <<Actions and Effects>> As described above, according to the first embodiment, the management system 1 executes the following processes. The detection unit 618 detects the occurrence of an unsafe event in the work machine 100. The output unit 314 outputs an unsafe event detected during operation by the operator of the work machine 100, in association with the work process at the time the unsafe event occurred. In this way, the management system 1 allows the user to recognize the frequency of occurrence of unsafe events for the operator related to the work process, and enables the user to recognize the compatibility between the operator and the work process.

[0045] The management system 1 according to the first embodiment executes the following processing. The first determination unit 615 determines whether the operator feels tension based on the operator's vital sign data. The second determination unit 616 determines whether an emergency operation of the work machine 100 has been performed based on data related to the operation of the work machine 100. The detection unit 618 detects the occurrence of an unsafe event based on the determination result of whether the operator feels tension and the determination result of whether an emergency operation has been performed. This allows the management system 1 to appropriately detect the occurrence of an unsafe event. The operator may perform an emergency operation depending on the situation at the work site. In this case, if the operator is able to respond calmly, this is not necessarily an unsafe event. Furthermore, even if the operator feels tension, this is not necessarily an unsafe event if it does not affect the operation of the work machine 100. Therefore, the management system 1 according to the first embodiment can appropriately detect the occurrence of an unsafe event by detecting the occurrence of an unsafe event based on the determination result of whether the operator feels tension and the determination result of whether an emergency operation has been performed. Furthermore, by detecting unsafe events and understanding the tendency for unsafe events to occur according to the work process, the management system 1 can allow users to recognize the tendency as to which work process unsafe events occur in.

[0046] The output unit 314 according to the first embodiment outputs the frequency of occurrence of unsafe events, which is statistical data on unsafe events for each work process for an operator. This allows a workplace manager to easily recognize the risk of an unsafe event occurring for each work process for an operator. Note that the management system 1 according to other embodiments does not necessarily need to calculate the statistical data. For example, the output unit 314 according to other embodiments may output a list of unsafe events for each work process for an operator.

[0047] The output unit 314 according to the first embodiment outputs information about unsafe events that occur to operators in the work process related to the work to a screen for assigning work to operators. This allows the site manager to assign work to operators in consideration of the frequency of unsafe events that occur to operators in the work process related to the work. In other words, work can be assigned to operators in consideration of the compatibility between the operators and the work process.

[0048] Other Embodiments Although one embodiment has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above, and various design modifications are possible. That is, in other embodiments, the order of the above-described processes may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, some processes may be executed in parallel.

[0049] The management system 1 according to the embodiment described above includes the control device 160 and the management device 300, which are separate computers, but is not limited to this. For example, in the management system 1 according to another embodiment, the control device 160 may transmit measurement data to the management device 300 without processing it, thereby causing the management device 300 to detect unsafe events. The management device 300 may be configured as a single computer, or the configuration of the management device 300 may be further divided into multiple computers, and the multiple computers may function as the management device 300 by cooperating with each other.

[0050] The management system 1 according to the first embodiment presents information about unsafe events to a manager, but this is not limited to this. For example, the management system 1 according to other embodiments may present information about unsafe events to the operator himself / herself. This allows the operator to recognize his / her own strengths and weaknesses and work accordingly. Furthermore, the management system 1 according to other embodiments may restrict the operation of the work machine 100 based on the information about unsafe events. For example, the control device 160 may reduce the drive amount of the work machine 100 relative to the operation amount of the operating device 143 when performing a work process in which unsafe events occur frequently.

[0051] The work machine 100 according to the first embodiment is operated by an operator who is on board, but is not limited to this. For example, the work machine 100 according to other embodiments may be remotely operated, and in other embodiments, there may be both a work machine 100 related to on-board operation and a work machine 100 related to remote operation. When the management system 1 detects unsafe events from both a work machine 100 related to on-board operation and a work machine 100 related to remote operation, the statistical data of unsafe events may be separated for the cases of on-board operation and the cases of remote operation.

[0052] According to the present disclosure, the management system allows a user to recognize information related to unsafe events that have occurred due to the operations of an operator involved in a work process.

[0053] 1...Management system 100...Work machine 101...Measuring instrument 110...Traveling body 120...Slewing body 130...Work machine 131...Boom 132...Arm 133...Bucket 140...Driver's cab 160...Control device 300...Management device 310...Processor 311...Receiving unit 312...Input unit 313...Calculation unit 314...Output unit 330...Main memory 350...Storage 370...Interface 500...User terminal 610...Processor 611...Vital data acquisition unit 612...Vehicle data acquisition unit 613...Operation signal input unit 614...Log storage unit 615...First judgment unit 616...Second judgment unit 617...Process identification unit 618...Detection unit 619...Output unit 630...Main memory 650...Storage 670...Interface 800...Vital sensor

Claims

1. A management system comprising: a log storage unit that stores data related to the operation of a work machine and vital data of an operator operating the work machine; a first determination unit that determines, from the operator's vital data, whether an amount of change in the vital data exceeds a threshold; a second determination unit that determines, from the data related to the operation of the work machine, whether an emergency operation of the work machine has been performed; and an output unit that outputs, based on the determination result of whether the amount of change in the vital data has exceeded the threshold and the determination result of whether the emergency operation has been performed, the operator at the time of operating the work machine and the work process related to that operation in association with each other.

2. The management system according to claim 1, further comprising a detection unit that detects the occurrence of an unsafe event based on the determination result of whether the amount of change in the vital data has exceeded the threshold value and the determination result of whether the emergency operation has been performed.

3. The management system according to claim 2, wherein the detection unit detects the occurrence of the unsafe event by detecting that the timing at which the amount of change in the vital data exceeds the threshold and the timing at which the emergency operation is performed occur within a certain period of time.

4. The management system according to claim 2, wherein the emergency operation is an operation performed as a temporary measure to recover from an operator error or an unsafe event.

5. The management system according to claim 1, further comprising: a process identification unit that identifies the work process from the data related to the operation of the work machine.

6. The management system according to claim 2, wherein the output unit outputs statistical data relating to the unsafe events for each of the work processes for the operators.

7. The management system according to claim 2, wherein the output unit outputs information about an unsafe event that occurred to the operator in the work process related to the work to a screen for assigning the work to the operator.

8. The management system according to claim 2, wherein the work machine is operated by on-board operation or remote operation, and the output unit outputs statistical data relating to the unsafe events separately depending on whether the work machine is operated by on-board operation or remote operation.

9. A management method comprising the steps of: storing data relating to the operation of a work machine and vital data of an operator operating the work machine; determining from the operator's vital data whether an amount of change in the vital data exceeds a threshold; and determining from the data relating to the operation of the work machine whether an emergency operation has been performed on the work machine; and outputting the operator at the time of operating the work machine in association with the work process related to the operation, based on the determination result of whether the amount of change in the vital data exceeds the threshold and the determination result of whether the emergency operation has been performed.

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