Crawler vehicle

Abstract

A crawler vehicle configured to advance in a first direction (DI) has a chassis (2); a driver ' s cabin (3), which is mounted on the chassis (2) and comprises a windscreen (4); at least one acquisition device (5, 6), which points in a second direction (D2) substantially opposite the first direction (DI) and is configured to acquire operational data indicative of the environment surrounding the crawler vehicle (1) in the second direction (D2); and at least one screen (7; 32), which is arranged inside the driver's cabin (3) and is configured to display a screenshot reproducing information indicative of operational data acquired by the at least one acquisition device (5, 6).

Description

[0001] "CRAWLER VEHICLE"

[0002] Cross-Reference to Related Patent Applications

[0003] This patent application claims priority of the Italian patent applications No. 102024000027078 filed on November 29, 2024, No. 102024000028929 filed on December 18, 2024, No. 102025000002259 filed on February 6, 2025, and No. 102025000004972 filed on March 11, 2025, the content of which is incorporated by reference herein.

[0004] Technical Sector

[0005] The present invention relates to a crawler vehicle, preferably used for the preparation of ski runs. Further, the present invention relates to a control method for controlling said crawler vehicle.

[0006] Prior Art

[0007] As is well known, crawler type vehicles are commonly used to advance along off-road routes for the purpose of transporting goods or people or to carry out a wide range of different jobs, such as preparing the snowpack of ski runs or cleaning beaches, or for agricultural operations.

[0008] Typically, every crawler vehicle of the known type comprises a chassis, a driver's cabin, which is mounted on the chassis and has a windscreen and side windows, and a pair of motorised tracks. In particular, the driver's cabin is equipped with a seat for a driver and a user interface, which is arranged near the seat, comprises a control device to allow the driver to control the crawler vehicle, and allows the display of crawler vehicle operating parameters, such as travel speed or remaining range of the crawler vehicle .

[0009] However, due to hostile weather conditions and / or poor cleanliness or fogging of the windscreen or side windows , the driver' s view outside the cabin may be partially obstructed under certain operating conditions .

[0010] Patent Subject Matter

[0011] A purpose of the present invention is to provide a crawler vehicle that mitigates the drawbacks of the prior art disclosed herein .

[0012] In accordance with the present invention, a crawler vehicle is provided, preferably for preparing ski runs , the crawler vehicle being configured to advance in a first direction and comprising :

[0013] - a chassis ;

[0014] - a driver ' s cabin, which is mounted on the chassis and comprises a windscreen;

[0015] - at least one acquisition device which points in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction and is configured to acquire operational data indicative of the surrounding environment of the crawler vehicle in the second direction; and

[0016] - at least one screen, which is arranged inside the driver ' s cabin and is configured to display a screenshot showing information indicative of the operational data acquired by the at least one acquisition device .

[0017] In other words , the screen is configured to show a view of the external environment simi lar to the view that the driver of the crawler vehicle would see through a rear-view mirror .

[0018] In this way, it is possible to replace rear-view mirrors mounted outside the driver ' s cabin with a screenshot displayed inside the driver' s cabin . In practice , s ince the screen is arranged inside the driver ' s cabin, the driver ' s rear and side vis ibility can be improved as the driver does not have to look through the driver ' s cabin windows , which may be dirty or fogged up and, as a result , may partially obstruct the driver ' s view outside the driver' s cabin .

[0019] A further purpose of the present invention is to provide a control method for controlling a crawler vehicle that mitigates the drawbacks of the prior art disclosed herein .

[0020] In accordance with the present invention, a control method for controlling a crawler vehicle is provided, the control method comprising the steps of :

[0021] - acquiring operational data indicative of the crawler vehicle ' s surroundings by means of at least one acquisition device pointing in a direction substantially opposite to a travelling direction of the crawler vehicle ; and displaying a screenshot reproducing information indicative of the operational data acquired by the at least one acquisition device in at least one screen arranged inside a driver ' s cabin of the crawler vehicle .

[0022] Thanks to this method, it is possible to show a view of the external environment similar to the view that the driver of the crawler vehicle would see through a rear-view mirror, so as to improve the driver ' s rear and side visibility in conditions of partial or total obstruction of the windscreen or side windows of the driver ' s cabin .

[0023] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description of a non-limiting embodiment example thereof , with reference to the accompanying figures , wherein :

[0025] - Figure 1 is a side view, with parts removed for clarity and schematised parts , of a crawler vehicle made in accordance with the present invention;

[0026] - Figure 2 is a perspective view, with parts removed for clarity and schematised parts , of a detail of the crawler vehicle of Figure 1 made in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] - Figure 3 is a perspective view, with parts removed for clarity and schematised parts , of a detail of the crawler vehicle of Figure 1 made in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] - Figure 4 is a perspective view, with parts removed for clarity and schematised parts , of the detail of Figure 3 in accordance with a variant of the second embodiment ;

[0029] - Figure 5 is a front view, with parts removed for clarity, of a screen of the crawler vehicle in Figure 3 ;

[0030] - Figure 6 is a block diagram of a further detail of the crawler vehicle in Figure 1 ; and

[0031] - Figure 7 is an example of a screenshot displayed by a screen of the crawler vehicle in Figure 1 .

[0032] Detailed Description of the Figures

[0033] With reference to figure 1 , the number 1 denotes a crawler vehicle , which in the case illustrated is used for the preparation o f a snowpack M of ski runs . In particular, the crawler vehicle 1 is a snow groomer .

[0034] In more detail , the crawler vehicle 1 is used for the preparation of downhill ski runs , and / or cross-country ski runs , and / or ski-j umping ramps , and / or hal f-pipe ski runs , and / or snow-parks , and / or snowmobile tracks .

[0035] In accordance with a further embodiment , the crawler vehicle 1 can be used for the maintenance of sandy areas , such as beaches , or for agricultural operations , such as harvesting and / or handling of agricultural products and / or forage silage and / or bagasse harvesting and / or handling .

[0036] In addition, in accordance with a further embodiment not shown in the accompanying figures , the crawler vehicle 1 can comprise a shredder preferably positioned at the front of the crawler vehicle 1 and can be used for shredding vegetation .

[0037] In accordance with the present invention, the crawler vehicle 1 is configured to advance in a travelling direction DI and comprises a chassis 2 ; a driver ' s cabin 3 , which is mounted on the chassis 2 and comprises a windscreen 4 ; and at least one acquisition device 5 , 6 , which points in a direction D2 substantially opposite to the direction DI and is configured to acquire operational data indicative of the environment surrounding the crawler vehicle 1 in the direction D2 ; and at least one screen 7 , which is arranged inside the driver ' s cabin 3 and is configured to display a screenshot reproducing information indicative of operational data acquired by the at least one acquisition device 5 , 6 .

[0038] In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, said acquired operational data comprises videos and / or images , and the screen 7 is configured to display a screenshot that reproduces said acquired video and / or images .

[0039] In addition or alternatively, the screen 7 is configured to display a screenshot that reproduces operational information indicative of additional operational data acquired, such as operating parameters of the crawler vehicle 1 and / or information on the operations to be performed and / or the characteristics of the environment surrounding the crawler vehicle 1 .

[0040] In particular, the crawler vehicle 1 comprises a control system 8 , which is in communication with each acquisition device 5 , 6 and the screen 7 , and is configured to receive operational data acquired by each acquisition device 5 , 6 and to control the screenshot displayed by the screen 7 to reproduce information indicative of the operational data received .

[0041] In more detail , the control System 8 is equipped with wireless connection capabilities , e . g . via a local communication network or via a mobile data network and an internet connection, for connection to a remote monitoring system 20 of a ski resort . In more detail , the remote monitoring system 20 is configured to receive data from the control system 8 , to process said received data, and to monitor and / or control a fleet of crawler vehicles 1 according to the processed data . In accordance with an embodiment , the remote monitoring system 20 implements arti ficial intelligence algorithms .

[0042] In addition, the crawler vehicle 1 comprises a seat 9 for a driver 10 arranged inside the driver ' s cabin 3 ; a pair of tracks 11 (only one of which is visible in Figure 1 ) ; a pair of drive wheels 12 ( only one of which is visible in Figure 1 ) , each of which is coupled to a respective track 11 ; a propulsion system 13 , for example internal combustion or electric or hybrid or hydrogen-powered, configured to transmit power to the drive wheels 12 ; and an as sembly of accessory devices 14 connected to the chassis 2 .

[0043] In the non-limiting embodiment of the present invention described and illustrated herein, the assembly of accessory devices 14 comprises a tiller 15, a shovel 16 , and a winch 17 . It is understood that the crawler vehicle 1 does not necessarily include all of the accessory devices 14 mentioned above . For example , the crawler vehicle 1 may comprise any one or two of the accessory devices 14 selected from the tiller 15 , shovel 16 and winch 17 .

[0044] In particular, the crawler vehicle 1 comprises a pair of acquisition devices 5 ( only one of which is visible in Figure 1 ) , each of which is arranged outside the driver ' s cabin 3 , points in the direction D2 substantially opposite to the travelling direction DI , and is configured to acquire operational data, such as videos and / or images , from a respective outer side portion of the driver ' s cabin 3 .

[0045] In more detail , one of the two acquisition devices 5 is configured to acquire said operational data from a left side portion of the driver ' s cabin 3 with respect to the position of the seat 9 and the other of the two acquisition devices 5 is configured to acquire said operational data from a right side portion of the driver ' s cabin 3 with respect to the position of the seat 9 .

[0046] In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, each acquisition device 5 is configured to acquire videos and / or images corresponding to a view of the outside of the driver ' s cabin 3 that would be viewed by the driver 10 of the crawler vehicle 1 through a possible rear-view mirror, while said driver 10 is sitting on the seat 9 . In practice, the crawler vehicle 1 has no rear-view mirrors .

[0047] In accordance with a variant of the present invention not shown in the accompanying figures , each acquisition device 5 is arranged inside the driver ' s cabin 3 and is configured to acquire operational data through a transparent panel , such as a window, of the driver ' s cabin 3 .

[0048] In particular, the acquisition device 6 points in the direction D2 substantially opposite to the travelling direction DI and is configured to acquire operational data, such as videos and / or images , from a respective rear portion of the crawler vehicle 1 .

[0049] In the embodiment described and illustrated herein, which is not l imitative of the present invention, the acquisition device 6 is mounted on a rear portion of the crawler vehicle 1 , in a retracted position with respect to the direction of travel and / or the drive wheels 12 and / or the winch 17 , and is configured to capture videos and / or images of a portion of the snowpack M, preferably already processed, to the rear of the tiller 15 .

[0050] In accordance with a variant of the present invention, not shown in the accompanying figures , the acquisition device 6 is attached to the tiller 15 .

[0051] In accordance with further embodiments of the present invention, not shown in the accompanying figures , each acquisition device 5 , 6 may be mounted on the shovel 16 or winch 17 or along a ski run or on an aerial vehicle , preferably unmanned, such as an aerial drone .

[0052] In addition, the crawler vehicle 1 comprises an acquisition device 18 , which is arranged in a front portion of the crawler vehicle 1 , faces in the travelling direction DI , and is configured to acquire operational data of the environment surrounding the crawler vehicle 1 in the travelling direction DI .

[0053] In particular, each acquisition device 5 , 6 , 18 comprises a lidar and / or a radar and / or an infrared camera and / or a stereoscopic camera and / or a camera and / or a video camera preferably at 270 ° or 360 ° .

[0054] In accordance with further variants of the present invention, the crawler vehicle 1 may comprise additional acquisition devices (not shown in the accompanying figures ) arranged, for example , along lateral portions of the crawler vehicle 1 to acquire operational data in directions transverse to the travelling direction DI .

[0055] In addition, the crawler vehicle 1 comprises a sensor assembly 19 , which is in communication with the control system 8 and is configured to detect additional operational data, such as operational parameters of the crawler vehicle 1 and / or information on the operations to be performed and / or the characteristics of the environment surrounding the crawler vehicle 1 .

[0056] In accordance with embodiments not shown in the accompanying figures , the sensor assembly 19 can be arranged on board additional crawler vehicles or on board an aerial vehicle , preferably unmanned, such as an aerial drone .

[0057] In particular, the sensor assembly 19 comprises a range sensor configured to detect a residual range of the crawler vehicle 1 ; and / or a status sensor configured to detect a state of operation of the propulsion system 13 or the assembly of acces sory devices 14 ; and / or a recognition sensor configured to detect any obstacles around the crawler vehicle 1 ; and / or a lidar sensor configured to detect characteristics of the snowpack M .

[0058] With reference to Figure 2 , the crawler vehicle 1 comprises a user interface 21 , which is arranged inside the driver ' s cabin 3 , is in communication with the control system 8 , and is configured to receive commands from a driver of the crawler vehicle 1 and to transmit said commands to the control system 8 . In particular, the control system 8 is configured to control the screenshot displayed by the screen 7 according to the commands transmitted by user interface 21 .

[0059] In the presently described and illustrated, nonlimiting embodiment of the present invention, the user interface 21 comprises an interface screen 22 , and a touch sensor 23 , which is integrated into the interface screen 22 and is configured to detect a touch or swipe on the interface screen 22 . In addition, the user interface 21 comprises a control lever 24 and / or a j oystick 25 .

[0060] In practice , the user interface 21 allows the driver to control the movement of the crawler vehicle 1 and the operation of accessory devices 14 . In particular, the control lever 24 and j oystick 25 are configured to drive the crawler vehicle 1 and to control the movements of the accessory devices 14 .

[0061] In the case described and illustrated herein, the seat 9 comprises a pair of armrests 26 and 27 , to which the user interface 21 is coupled . In more detail , the j oystick 25 and interface screen 22 are arranged on the armrest 26 . The control lever 24 is arranged on the armrest 27 .

[0062] In accordance with an embodiment , the driver ' s cabin 3 comprises two side windows 28 ; two side uprights 29 , each of which is arranged between the windscreen 4 and the respective side window 28 ; a lower platform 30 ; and a roof 31 . In particular, the seat 9 is mounted on the lower platform 30 in a central position of the driver ' s cabin 3 .

[0063] In accordance with an embodiment not shown in the accompanying figures , the driver ' s cabin 3 comprises additional seats for possible passengers of the crawler vehicle 1 arranged alongside the seat 9 .

[0064] In accordance with a first embodiment shown in Figure 2 , the crawler vehicle 1 comprises two screens 7 , each of which is arranged at a respective side portion of the windscreen 4 , preferably at the respective side uprights 29 . In more detail , one of the two screens 7 is configured to display information indicative of the operational data acquired by one of the acquisition devices 5 and the other of the two screens 7 is configured to display information indicative of the operational data acquired by the other one of the acquisition devices 5 .

[0065] In accordance with a second embodiment shown in Figure

[0066] 3 , the crawler vehicle 1 comprises a screen 32 conf igured to display a screenshot reproducing information indicative of the operational data acquired by at least one of the acquisition devices 5 , 6 .

[0067] The screen 32 is arranged in front of the seat 9 and extends from the roof 31 of the driver ' s cabin 3 . In particular, the screen 32 hangs from the roof 31 near the windscreen 4 and extends hori zontally .

[0068] In practice , the screen 32 is arranged in the driver ' s cabin 3 in such a way as to maintain an unobstructed view for the driver of the crawler vehicle 1 through a central portion of the windscreen 4 while said driver is sitting on the seat 9 .

[0069] In accordance with a variant of the second embodiment shown in Figure 4 , the screen 32 is arranged in front of the seat 9 and is supported by the lower floor 30 of the driver ' s cabin 3 . In particular, the screen 32 is mounted on the lower platform 30 near the windscreen 4 and extends hori zontally .

[0070] Referring to Figure 5 , the screen 32 has an elongated shape and extends along a longitudinal axis A. In particular, the screen 32 extends for a length LI along a direction dl substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis A and for a length L2 along a direction d2 substantially perpendicular to the direction dl .

[0071] In the case described and illustrated herein, which is not limitative of the present invention, the length LI is three times longer than the length L2 . Preferably, the length LI is about four times the length L2 .

[0072] In particular, the screenshot displayed by screen 32 is divided into a plurality of screenshot portions PS I , PS2 , PS3 , PS4 . The control system 8 is configured to control the screenshot displayed by the screen 7 so as to reproduce in real time in one of the screenshot portions PS I , PS2 of the plurality of screenshot portions information indicative of the operational data acquired by one of the acquisition devices 5 , 6 . In more detail , the control System 8 is configured to reproduce said screenshot portion PS I , PS2 at a side end of the screenshot .

[0073] In accordance with the operational configuration described and illustrated herein, the screenshot portion PS I reproduces information indicative of operational data acquired by one of the acquisition devices 5 and the screenshot portion PS2 reproduces information indicative of operational data acquired by the other of the acquisition devices 5 .

[0074] In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the screenshot portion PS I reproduces videos and / or images corresponding to a view that would be viewed by the driver of the crawler vehicle 1 through a possible left rear-view mirror, while said driver is sitting on the seat 9 . The screenshot portion PS2 plays the videos and / or images corresponding to a view that would be viewed by the driver of the crawler vehicle 1 through a possible right rear-view mirror, while said driver is sitting on the seat 9 .

[0075] In particular, the control system 8 is configured to display the screenshot portions PS I and PS2 at the respective side ends 33 , 34 of the screenshot .

[0076] In addition, in accordance with a display mode , the control system 8 is configured to control the screenshot displayed by the screen 32 to reproduce additional operational information in the screenshot portions PS3 and PS4 of the plurality of screenshot portions .

[0077] In particular, by way of example , in the screenshot portion PS3 , a depiction of at least a portion of the crawler vehicle 1 and a visual indicator indicating the presence of obstacles in the vicinity of the crawler vehicle 1 can be reproduced . In the screenshot portion PS4 , videos and / or images acquired by the acquisition device 6 or the acquisition device 18 can be reproduced .

[0078] It is understood that the control system 8 is configured to control the screenshot displayed by the screen 32 to reproduce additional operational information in the screenshot portions PS3 and PS4 . In particular, said further operational information comprises operational parameters of the crawler vehicle 1 , and / or a tachometer, and / or information about residual fuel , and / or information about the electrical status of the crawler vehicle 1 , and / or information about possible failures of the crawler vehicle 1 , and / or two- or three-dimensional views of the crawler vehicle 1 , and / or dynamic views of the crawler vehicle 1 , and / or user manuals , and / or instructions for use of the user interface 21 , and / or an interactive guide , and / or information for servicing the crawler vehicle 1 , and / or information for controlling the heating of the driver' s cabin 3 , and / or radio data, and / or telephony data, and / or information for connection to mobile electronic devices and / or snow depth information, and / or terrain slope information, and / or information about managing a fleet of crawler vehicles 1 , and / or information about missions or activities to be performed by the driver of the crawler vehicle 1 , and / or information about the configuration of the crawler vehicle 1 and accessory devices 14 , and / or information about a ski facility, and / or identi fication data of a particular driver of the crawler vehicle 1 , and / or a navigation system, and / or smart applications to support the use of the crawler vehicle 1 , and / or a communication system with further vehicles , and / or information for a remote control of the crawler vehicle 1 .

[0079] In the case described and illustrated herein, the screenshot portions PS I , PS2 , PS3 and PS4 are aligned along the longitudinal axis A of the screen 32 .

[0080] It is understood that the screenshot portions PS I , PS2 , PS3 and PS4 may be displayed on the screen 32 in di f ferent positions or in accordance with additional configurations not shown in the accompanying figures .

[0081] With reference to Figure 6 , each acquisition device 5 , 6 , 18 is in communication with the control system 8 and screen 7 , 32 and is configured to send the acquired operational data to the control system 8 and the screen 7 , 32 .

[0082] The control system 8 is configured to control the screenshot displayed by the screen 7 , 32 depending on the operating conditions of the crawler vehicle 1 . In particular, the control system 8 is configured to automatically adj ust the magni fication and / or tilt and / or lighting and / or focus of the videos and / or images reproduced on the screen 7 , 32 according to the operating conditions of the crawler vehicle 1 . By way of example , when the driver operates one of the accessory devices 14 via the user interface 21 , the control system 8 controls the screenshot displayed by the screen 7 , 32 in order to play the videos and / or images most relevant to the operations being performed .

[0083] In addition, the control system 8 comprises a processing module 35 configured to process the operational data acquired by each of the acquisition devices 5 , 6 , 18 , and to identi fy a position and / or a conformation of reference elements in the environment surrounding the crawler vehicle 1 according to the processed operational data .

[0084] In particular, the processing module 35 is configured to detect a position of obj ects and / or living beings in the environment surrounding the crawler vehicle 1 according to said processed operational data and / or to determine a conformation of the environment surrounding the crawler vehicle 1 according to said processed operational data .

[0085] The control system 8 is configured to control the screenshot displayed by the screen 7 , 32 in such a way as to reproduce on the screen 7 , 32 said identi fied position and / or conformation of the reference elements .

[0086] Additionally or alternatively, the control system 8 is configured to process the operational data acquired by each of the acquisition devices 5 , 6 , 18 to generate videos and / or images and to control the screenshot displayed by the screen 7 , 32 to play the generated videos and / or images .

[0087] In particular, the control system 8 is configured to control the screenshot displayed by the screen 7 , 32 so as to detect and / or indicate the contours of each reference element in the videos and / or images reproduced .

[0088] In addition, the processing module 35 comprises a memory 36 in which a database containing comparison images of a plurality of di f ferent types of reference elements is stored . The processing module 35 is configured to classi fy each reference element according to the processed operational data and comparison images stored in the database .

[0089] By way of example , the processing module 35 is configured to classi fy each reference element as an obstacle or as a boundary element delimiting an area passable by the crawler vehicle 1 or as a component of the crawler vehicle 1 , for example the tiller 15 or the shovel 16 or the winch 17 .

[0090] In more detail , the processing module 35 comprises arti ficial intelligence algorithms , which preferably employ pre-trained convolutional neural networks for the detection and classi fication of the reference elements . In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, said arti ficial intelligence algorithms include obj ect detection models , such as the "YOLO - (You Only Look Once ) " model .

[0091] In addition, the processing module 35 is configured to detect boundaries of speci fic areas in the environment surrounding the crawler vehicle 1 from the operational data acquired by each acquisition device 5 , 6 , 18 . By way of example , the processing module 35 is configured to detect pedestrian or hazardous area boundaries from the operational data acquired by each acquisition device 5 , 6 , 18 .

[0092] In particular, the processing module 35 is configured to define an area that can be traversed by the crawler vehicle 1 depending on the identi fied position and / or conformation of the reference elements , and to plan an optimal travelling path within the traversable area for the crawler vehicle 1 , so as to avoid collisions with any reference elements classi fied as obstacles .

[0093] The control system 8 is configured to control the screenshot displayed by the screen 7 , 32 so as to indicate in the videos and / or images played the boundaries of said speci fic areas detected by the processing module 35 .

[0094] In addition, the processing module 35 is configured to calculate a distance of each reference element identi fied by the crawler vehicle 1 . By way of example , the processing module 35 implements a "Monocular Depth Estimation" type algorithm, which is configured to estimate the distance of the reference elements receiving as input the operational data acquired by each acquisition device 5 , 6 , 18 .

[0095] In accordance with an embodiment , the control system 8 is configured to control the screenshot displayed by the screen 7 , 32 in such a way as to superimpose visual indicators on the videos and / or images reproduced . By way of example , the control system 8 is configured to superimpose visual indicators indicating a distance to a reference element on the videos and / or images played in order to assist the driver of the crawler vehicle 1 in manoeuvring .

[0096] With reference to Figure 7 , an example is shown of a video or image acquired by one of the acquisition devices 5 , 6 and displayed by the screen 7 , 32 .

[0097] In particular, the processing module 35 processes the videos and / or images acquired by one of the acquisition devices 5 , 6 and detects and identi fies the contours of each reference element 37, 38, 39 and the area occupied by each reference element 37, 38, 39, 40. In particular, the processing module 35, using the comparison images stored in the memory 36 (Figure 6) and implementing artificial intelligence algorithms, classifies the reference element 37 as a pole, the reference element 38 as a snow lance, and the reference elements 39 as people.

[0098] Finally, it is evident that variations can be made to the present invention without however departing from the scope of protection of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A crawler vehicle, preferably for preparing ski runs, the crawler vehicle (1) being configured to advance in a first direction (DI) and comprising: a chassis ( 2 ) ;- a driver's cabin (3) , which is mounted on the chassis (2) and comprises a windscreen (4) ;- at least one acquisition device (5, 6) , which points in a second direction (D2) substantially opposite to the first direction (DI) and is configured to acquire operational data indicative of the surrounding environment of the crawler vehicle (1) in the second direction (D2) ; and- at least one screen (7; 32) , which is arranged inside the driver's cabin (3) and is configured to display a screenshot reproducing information indicative of the operational data acquired by the at least one acquisition device (5, 6) .

2. The crawler vehicle as claimed in claim 1, and comprising a control system (8) , which is in communication with the at least one acquisition device (5, 6) and the at least one screen (7; 32) , and is configured to receive operational data acquired by the at least one acquisition device (5, 6) and to control the screenshot displayed by the at least one screen (7; 32) so as to reproduce information indicative of the received operational data.

3. The crawler vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control system (8) is configured to process the operational data acquired by the at least one acquisition device (5, 6) so as to generate videos and / or images and to control the screenshot displayed by the at least one screen (7; 32) so as to reproduce the generated videos and / orimages .

4. The crawler vehicle as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the screenshot displayed by the at least one screen (32) is divided into a plurality of screenshot portions (PSI, PS2, PS3, PS4) ; the control system (8) being configured to control the screenshot displayed by the at least one screen (32) so as to reproduce in real time in one of the screenshot portions (PSI, PS2) of the plurality of screenshot portions (PSI, PS2, PS3, PS4) information indicative of operational data acquired by the at least one acquisition device (5, 6) .

5. The crawler vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control system (8) is configured to reproduce said screenshot portion (PSI, PS2) in a lateral end (33, 34) of the screenshot.

6. The crawler vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the control system (8) is configured to control the screenshot displayed by the at least one screen (7; 32) according to the operating conditions of the crawler vehicle ( 1 ) .

7. The crawler vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the control system (8) comprises a processing module (35) configured to process operational data acquired by the at least one acquisition device (5, 6) , and to identify a position and / or a conformation of reference elements in the environment surrounding the crawler vehicle (1) according to the processed operational data; the control system (8) being configured to control the screenshot displayed by the at least one screen (7; 32) so as to reproduce on the at least one screen (7; 32) said identified position and / or conformation of reference elements.

8. The crawler vehicle as claimed in any one of claims2 to 7, wherein the operational data acquired by the at least one acquisition device (5, 6) comprises videos and / or images; the at least one screen (7; 32) being configured to display a screenshot that reproduces the video and / or images acquired by the at least one acquisition device (5, 6) .

9. The crawler vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the control system (8) is configured to control the screenshot displayed by the at least one screen (7; 32) so as to detect and / or indicate the contours of each reference element in the videos and / or images reproduced.

10. The crawler vehicle as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein the control system (8) is configured to control the screenshot displayed by the at least one screen (7; 32) so as to indicate boundaries of specific areas in the environment surrounding the crawler vehicle (1) in the videos and / or images reproduced.

11. The crawler vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the control system (8) is configured to control the screenshot displayed by the at least one screen (7; 32) so as to superimpose visual indicators on the videos and / or images reproduced.

12. The crawler vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and comprising a user interface (21) , which is in communication with the control system (8) , and is configured to receive commands from a driver (10) of the crawler vehicle (1) and to transmit said commands to the control system (8) , the control system (8) being configured to control the screenshot displayed by the at least one screen (7; 32) according to the commands transmitted by the user interface (21) .

13. The crawler vehicle as claimed in any one of thepreceding claims, wherein the at least one acquisition device (5, 6) is arranged outside the driver's cabin (3) and is configured to acquire operational data from an outer side portion of the driver's cabin (3) .

14. The crawler vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one screen (7) is arranged at a side portion of the windscreen (4) .

15. The crawler vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the crawler vehicle (1) has no rear-view mirrors.

16. A control method for controlling a crawler vehicle, the control method comprising the steps of: acquiring operational data indicative of the surrounding environment of the crawler vehicle (1) by means of at least one acquisition device (5, 6) pointing in a direction (D2) substantially opposite to a travelling direction (DI) of the crawler vehicle (1) ; and displaying a screenshot reproducing information indicative of the operational data acquired by the at least one acquisition device (5, 6) in at least one screen (7; 32) arranged inside a driver's cabin (3) of the crawler vehicle (1) •

Images