Terrain measurement device and work machine

The terrain measurement device addresses flexibility and efficiency issues by allowing vehicle-mounted and handheld modes, optimizing data acquisition and transmission for enhanced workability and accuracy.

WO2026140975A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2026-07-02HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO LTD

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO LTD
Filing Date
2025-12-12
Publication Date
2026-07-02

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional terrain measurement devices face limitations in flexibility and efficiency due to restricted acquisition areas and labor-intensive repositioning requirements, leading to reduced workability during site measurements.

Method used

A terrain measurement device equipped with a distance measuring device and a mode determination unit that allows operation in both vehicle-mounted and handheld modes, enabling flexible operation and efficient measurement by adapting to the hydraulic excavator's state or operator instructions.

Benefits of technology

The device facilitates flexible and efficient terrain measurement by optimizing data acquisition based on the excavator's state or operator input, reducing duplicate data and processing loads, and enhancing measurement accuracy and data transmission.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

This terrain measurement device measures a surface to be measured at a work site, and comprises a distance measurement device that measures the distance to the surface to be measured. The terrain measurement device has a mode determination unit for selecting either a vehicle-mounted mode used when mounted on a work machine or a non-vehicle-mounted mode used when detached from the work machine. The distance measurement device performs the distance measurement in a different operation mode depending on whether the vehicle-mounted mode is selected or the non-vehicle-mounted mode is selected.
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Description

Terrain measurement device, work machine

[0001] The present invention relates to a terrain measurement device that measures a measurement target surface at a work site such as a civil engineering work, and a work machine equipped with this terrain measurement device.

[0002] Conventionally, for the management of the as-built shape at a work site, a device that measures in detail the terrain of an excavation surface after excavation work is performed by a work machine is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a system for performing as-built shape management using point cloud data obtained by scanning an excavation target area with laser light emitted from a laser sensor mounted on a backhoe. Further, Patent Document 2 describes a system for installing a laser scanning device near a heavy machine such as a bulldozer and acquiring scan data representing terrain changes in the area where work is performed by the heavy machine using this laser scanning device.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-139389, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-149847

[0004] In the system described in Patent Document 1, since the laser sensor for acquiring point cloud data is mounted on the backhoe, the range of the area where point cloud data can be acquired is limited based on the position and orientation of the backhoe. On the other hand, in the system described in Patent Document 2, the heavy machine and the laser scanning device have separate configurations, and when the heavy machine moves, it is necessary to change the installation position of the laser scanning device accordingly. Therefore, labor is required to change the installation position of the laser scanning device every time the heavy machine moves. Thus, in conventional measurement devices, there is a problem that workability deteriorates due to restrictions such as the area that can be acquired when measuring the terrain at a work site and the change of the installation position of the device.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to realize a terrain measurement device that enables flexible operation during use at a work site and can efficiently perform terrain measurement work.

[0006] The terrain measuring device according to the present invention is a terrain measuring device that measures a surface to be measured at a work site, and comprises a distance measuring device for measuring the distance to the surface to be measured, and has a mode determination unit that selects either an on-vehicle mode used when mounted on a work machine or an un-vehicle mode used when detached from the work machine, and the distance measuring device measures the distance in different operating modes when the on-vehicle mode is selected and when the un-vehicle mode is selected. The work machine according to the present invention comprises the terrain measuring device described above, a mounting member that detachably holds the terrain measuring device, and a vehicle body to which the mounting member is fixed.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a topographic measurement device that allows for flexible operation when used at work sites and enables efficient topographic measurement work.

[0008] Further features related to the present invention will become apparent from the description herein and the accompanying drawings. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of embodiments.

[0009] An external view of a hydraulic excavator, an example of a work machine equipped with a measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention. A magnified view of the area around the measuring device and mounting member when the hydraulic excavator is viewed from the rear of the vehicle body. An external view of the measuring device when it has been removed from the mounting member. A diagram showing an example of a construction management system including the measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention. A flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 1 is an external view of a hydraulic excavator, which is an example of a work machine equipped with a terrain measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The hydraulic excavator 100, which is a work machine, comprises a traveling body 3 equipped with a pair of left and right tracks 1 and 2, a slewing body 4 rotatably mounted on the traveling body 3, a boom 5 rotatably connected to one end of the slewing body 4, an arm 6 rotatably connected to one end of the boom 5, and a bucket 7 rotatably connected to one end of the arm 6. The traveling body 3 and the slewing body 4 constitute the body of the hydraulic excavator 100.

[0011] The slewing body 4 is equipped with a driver's cab 8, a machine room 9 housing the engine and hydraulic pump, and a counterweight 10. The running body 3 is equipped with running motors 11 and 12 that drive the tracks 1 and 2 respectively, and a slewing motor (not shown) that drives the slewing body 4.

[0012] The hydraulic excavator 100 is equipped with a pair of left and right boom cylinders 13 and 14 that drive the boom 5, an arm cylinder 15 that drives the arm 6, and a bucket cylinder 16 that drives the bucket 7. In other words, the hydraulic excavator 100 has a working arm mechanism consisting of the boom 5, arm 6, and bucket 7, and the posture of this working arm mechanism is determined by the extension and retraction of the boom cylinders 13 and 14, the arm cylinder 15, and the bucket cylinder 16, respectively.

[0013] A terrain measuring device 20 is installed at a predetermined position on the rotating body 4 via a mounting member 30. The terrain measuring device 20 is a device for measuring the surface to be measured in the terrain around the hydraulic excavator 100 during or after work at a work site where the hydraulic excavator 100 performs excavation or leveling work. The surface to be measured is the ground or slope that the hydraulic excavator 100 is working on. The terrain measuring device 20 is detachably held by the mounting member 30 fixed to the rotating body 4, and can also be used after being removed from the mounting member 30. This point will be explained in detail later.

[0014] In Figure 1, an example is shown in which the terrain measurement device 20 is mounted on the counterweight 10 on the slewing body 4, but the mounting position of the terrain measurement device 20 is not limited to this. The terrain measurement device 20 can be mounted on the slewing body 4 at any position or orientation as long as the mounting member 30 can be securely fixed and the surface to be measured at the work site can be reliably measured while the terrain measurement device 20 is mounted on the slewing body 4. Furthermore, the terrain measurement device 20 may be mounted in a location other than the slewing body 4 on the body of the hydraulic excavator 100. Moreover, the number of terrain measurement devices 20 mounted on the slewing body 4 is not limited to one, and multiple terrain measurement devices 20 may be mounted.

[0015] Figure 2 is a magnified view of the area around the terrain measuring device 20 and mounting member 30 of the hydraulic excavator 100 shown in Figure 1, viewed from the rear of the vehicle body. Note that only a portion of the slewing body 4 is shown in Figure 2.

[0016] The terrain measurement device 20 is attached to the rotating body 4, which constitutes the body of the hydraulic excavator 100, at a predetermined position and orientation by a mounting member 30. The terrain measurement device 20 includes a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) device 21, a pair of stereo camera devices 22a and 22b, and a pair of GNSS antennas 23a and 23b. Details of each of these devices will be described later.

[0017] The mounting member 30 comprises a main body portion 31, a base portion 32, and a vibration damping portion 33. The main body portion 31 is the part that detachably holds the terrain measurement device 20, and includes, for example, a mechanism for clamping the terrain measurement device 20 and a mechanism for releasing the clamping of the terrain measurement device 20. The base portion 32 is the part that is fixed to the slewing body 4. For example, a strong magnet such as a neodymium magnet can be placed on the base portion 32, and the base portion 32 can be fixed to the slewing body 4, which is made of metal such as iron, by the magnetic force emitted by this magnet. The vibration damping portion 33 is a member characterized by damping characteristics that is placed between the main body portion 31 and the base portion 32, and absorbs vibrations of an engine or the like that placed inside the slewing body 4. The vibration damping portion 33 can suppress vibrations transmitted from the slewing body 4 to the terrain measurement device 20 via the mounting member 30.

[0018] As mentioned above, the terrain measurement device 20 can also be used detached from the mounting member 30. That is, the terrain measurement device 20 can be used in two ways: mounted on the hydraulic excavator 100 using the mounting member 30, or detached from the mounting member 30 and used by a worker, for example, by hand. The terrain measurement device 20 operates in different operating modes depending on these differences in usage. Hereinafter, the operating mode of the terrain measurement device 20 in the former usage mode will be referred to as the "vehicle-mounted mode," and the operating mode of the terrain measurement device 20 in the latter usage mode, detached from the mounting member 30 of the hydraulic excavator 100 (for example, handheld), will be referred to as the "non-vehicle-mounted mode" or "handheld mode."

[0019] Figure 3 is an external view of the terrain measuring device 20 when it has been removed from the mounting member 30. Figure 3(a) shows the external appearance of the terrain measuring device 20 as seen from the operator's side when the operator is using the terrain measuring device 20, for example, by hand. Figure 3(b) shows the external appearance of the terrain measuring device 20 as seen from the opposite side of Figure 3(a).

[0020] In addition to the LiDAR device 21, stereo camera devices 22a and 22b, and GNSS antennas 23a and 23b mentioned above, the terrain measurement device 20 also includes a handle 24, a fixing member 25, and a horizontal bar 26.

[0021] The handle portion 24 is a part for the operator to grip when using the terrain measuring device 20 by hand, and is formed, for example, as a rod-shaped portion extending in the vertical direction. A battery (not shown) that powers the terrain measuring device 20 when it is removed from the mounting member 30 is built into this handle portion 24. In addition to this, the handle portion 24 can be formed in any shape that is suitable for the operator to grip when using the terrain measuring device 20 by hand, and this handle portion 24 can also be fixed to a tripod or the like, and can be used in various forms even when it is removed from a work machine such as a hydraulic excavator 100.

[0022] When the terrain measurement device 20 is mounted on a hydraulic excavator 100, for example, the handle portion 24 is clamped and fixed by the clamping mechanism of the mounting member 30, thereby holding the terrain measurement device 20 on the mounting member 30. In other words, the handle portion 24 also functions as the part to be held for holding the terrain measurement device 20 on the mounting member 30.

[0023] The fixing member 25 is a part for attaching and fixing an information terminal 40, such as a smartphone, to the terrain measurement device 20. When an operator uses the terrain measurement device 20 handheld, the terrain measurement device 20 can use the touch panel screen of the information terminal 40, which is attached and fixed by this fixing member 25, as a user interface for the operator. At this time, information regarding the operation of the terrain measurement device 20 is transmitted and received between the terrain measurement device 20 and the information terminal 40 via wireless or wired communication.

[0024] The horizontal bar portion 26 is a rod-shaped part that extends laterally above the information terminal 40, which is attached and fixed to the terrain measurement device 20 by a fixing member 25. The pair of stereo camera devices 22a, 22b and the pair of GNSS antennas 23a, 23b are arranged symmetrically on this horizontal bar portion 26 with respect to the center line of the handle portion 24. This allows the stereo camera devices 22a, 22b and the GNSS antennas 23a, 23b to be positioned at predetermined locations on the terrain measurement device 20.

[0025] The combination of the handle portion 24, fixing member 25, and horizontal bar portion 26 described above functions as the housing of the terrain measuring device 20. It is preferable that these be formed using materials that allow for weight reduction while maintaining the desired housing strength. For example, the handle portion 24, fixing member 25, and horizontal bar portion 26 can be formed using light metals such as aluminum or titanium, or various reinforced plastics.

[0026] Next, the functional configuration of the terrain measurement device 20 will be described. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a construction management system including the terrain measurement device 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The construction management system shown in Figure 4 is configured such that the terrain measurement device 20 and the construction management device 50 communicate with each other via a public communication line 60.

[0027] The terrain measurement device 20 includes the following functional blocks: a distance measurement device 201, a self-position detection device 202, a self-attitude detection device 203, a mode determination unit 204, a measurement data generation unit 205, a measurement data storage unit 206, a terminal communication unit 207, and a wireless communication device 208.

[0028] The distance measuring device 201 measures the distance to the measurement target surface at the work site and acquires information representing the measurement result. The distance measuring device 201 is composed of the LiDAR device 21 and stereo camera devices 22a and 22b described above. The LiDAR device 21 is a distance measuring device that can measure the distance to the measurement target surface by scanning a laser beam across the measurement target surface and detecting the reflected wave. The stereo camera devices 22a and 22b are distance measuring devices that can measure the distance to the measurement target surface by acquiring image information of the measurement target surface and calculating the parallax from this image information. In the terrain measuring device 20, the distance measuring device 201 is composed of a combination of these distance measuring devices.

[0029] The self-position detection device 202 detects the current position of the terrain measurement device 20 at the work site and acquires information representing the detection result. The self-position detection device 202 is composed of the aforementioned GNSS antennas 23a and 23b and a position calculation unit 211. The GNSS antennas 23a and 23b each receive GNSS signals transmitted from positioning satellites orbiting in a predetermined satellite orbit and output them to the position calculation unit 211. The position calculation unit 211 calculates the self-position of the terrain measurement device 20 by performing predetermined calculation processing based on the GNSS signals received by the GNSS antennas 23a and 23b. When the terrain measurement device 20 is operating in vehicle-mounted mode, this self-position also corresponds to the current position of the hydraulic excavator 100.

[0030] The self-attitude detection device 203 detects the current orientation of the terrain measurement device 20 as its own attitude and acquires information representing the detection result. The self-attitude detection device 203 is configured, for example, using a 6-axis inertial sensor (IMU: Inertial Measurement Unit).

[0031] The mode determination unit 204 determines whether the operating mode of the terrain measurement device 20 is vehicle-mounted mode or handheld mode (non-vehicle-mounted mode). If the terrain measurement device 20 is attached to the mounting member 30, the mode determination unit 204 determines that the operating mode of the terrain measurement device 20 is vehicle-mounted mode. On the other hand, if the terrain measurement device 20 is detached from the mounting member 30, the mode determination unit 204 determines that the operating mode of the terrain measurement device 20 is handheld mode. Whether or not the terrain measurement device 20 is attached to the mounting member 30 can be determined, for example, by whether or not it is connected to a power cable (not shown) provided on the mounting member 30. In this case, the terrain measurement device 20 operates using power supplied from the power cable in vehicle-mounted mode and using power supplied from a built-in battery (not shown) in handheld mode.

[0032] The measurement data generation unit 205 combines information regarding the distance to the measurement target surface measured by the distance measuring device 201 and information regarding the self-position acquired by the self-position detection device 202 to generate measurement data representing the measurement result of the measurement target surface by the terrain measuring device 20. The measurement data generated by the measurement data generation unit 205 is stored in the measurement data storage unit 206.

[0033] The terminal communication unit 207 communicates with the information terminal 40 (see Figure 3), which is attached to the terrain measurement device 20, when the terrain measurement device 20 is operating in handheld mode (non-vehicle mode). The terminal communication unit 207 can send and receive information to and from the information terminal 40 for use as a user interface, for example, by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth® or wired communication such as USB.

[0034] The wireless communication device 208 communicates wirelessly with the construction management device 50 via the public communication line 60. The wireless communication device 208 can communicate with the construction management device 50, for example, via mobile communication or wireless LAN, and transmit the measurement data stored in the measurement data storage unit 206 to the construction management device 50.

[0035] The terrain measurement device 20 may transmit measurement data to the construction management device 50 without using the wireless communication device 208. For example, a personal computer (PC) (not shown) may be connected to the terrain measurement device 20, and this PC may be used to read the measurement data stored in the measurement data storage unit 206 and transmit it to the construction management device 50. Alternatively, the information terminal 40 may be used as the wireless communication device 208 to transmit measurement data to the construction management device 50. Measurement data can also be transmitted by any other method.

[0036] The construction management device 50 is a server device that collects measurement data transmitted from the terrain measurement device 20 and performs construction management at the work site. For example, the construction management device 50 can perform construction management at the work site by mapping the measurement target surface of the work site using the collected measurement data, creating a 3D model of the terrain after the work is completed, and comparing this 3D model with 3D design data to determine whether the completed work is satisfactory. The construction management device 50 may be a physical server or a virtual server provided by a cloud service or the like.

[0037] Of the functional blocks of the terrain measurement device 20 described above, for example, the mode determination unit 204 and the measurement data generation unit 205 are realized by a microcomputer mounted on the terrain measurement device 20 executing predetermined software. Also, for example, the measurement data storage unit 206 is realized using a storage medium such as flash memory mounted on the terrain measurement device 20. Furthermore, for example, the terminal communication unit 207 and the wireless communication device 208 are realized by modularized general-purpose devices. Note that each functional block may be realized by means other than those described above.

[0038] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing flow performed by a terrain measurement device 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The terrain measurement device 20 performs the processing shown in the flowchart of Figure 5, for example, at predetermined processing cycles.

[0039] In step S10, the mode determination unit 204 performs a mode determination process to determine the current operating mode of the terrain measurement device 20. As described above, by determining whether or not the terrain measurement device 20 is attached to the mounting member 30, it is possible to determine whether the current operating mode of the terrain measurement device 20 is vehicle-mounted mode or handheld mode (non-vehicle-mounted mode).

[0040] In step S20, the mode determination unit 204 determines whether the result of the mode determination process in step S10 was in-vehicle mode or handheld mode. If it is determined to be in-vehicle mode in step S10, the process proceeds to step S30; if it is determined to be handheld mode (non-vehicle mode), the process proceeds to step S40.

[0041] In step S30, the self-position detection device 202 and the self-attitude detection device 203 determine whether the state of the body of the hydraulic excavator 100, to which the terrain measurement device 20 is attached via the mounting member 30, corresponds to a predetermined measurement execution state. Here, for example, based on the time changes of the self-position and self-attitude detected by the self-position detection device 202 and the self-attitude detection device 203, respectively, it is determined whether the body of the hydraulic excavator 100 is rotating or moving. If it is determined that the body is rotating or moving, it is determined that the state of the body corresponds to a measurement execution state. Specifically, if the self-position detected by the self-position detection device 202 and the self-attitude detected by the self-attitude detection device 203 are changing continuously, it can be determined that the body of the hydraulic excavator 100 is rotating or moving. In such cases, it is determined that the state of the body of the hydraulic excavator 100 corresponds to a measurement execution state and the process proceeds to step S50; otherwise, it is determined that the state of the body of the hydraulic excavator 100 does not correspond to a measurement execution state and the process returns to step S20. As a result, if the vehicle is not turning or moving, i.e., not in a measurement state, the distance measurement to the measurement target surface by the distance measuring device 201 in step S50 below is not performed. This prevents the acquisition of duplicate data for the same location that does not involve vehicle movement, and prevents the acquisition of data unnecessary for terrain measurement. Therefore, the processing load on the measurement data generation unit 205 of the terrain measurement device 20, the communication load on the terminal communication unit 207 and wireless communication device 208, and the processing load on the construction management device 50 can be reduced. Note that the above determination method is just one example, and the vehicle state other than turning or moving may also be determined to be in a measurement state.

[0042] In step S40, the terminal communication unit 207 determines whether or not there is a measurement instruction from the operator. Here, for example, if it is detected that an operator using the terrain measurement device 20 in a handheld manner has performed a predetermined measurement instruction operation via the information terminal 40 attached to the terrain measurement device 20, it is determined that there is a measurement instruction and the process proceeds to step S40. On the other hand, if no measurement instruction operation is detected, it is determined that there is no measurement instruction and the process returns to step S20. At this time, the information terminal 40 displays an operation screen that allows the operator to select one of the functions that the terrain measurement device 20 can perform in handheld mode, and detects the selection operation performed by the operator on this operation screen via the touch panel, thereby detecting various input operations, including measurement instruction operations to the terrain measurement device 20. The terrain measurement device 20 can obtain the content of the operator's input operation detected by the information terminal 40 from the information terminal 40 via the terminal communication unit 207 and perform the determination in step S40.

[0043] As explained above, in the terrain measurement device 20, a determination is made based on different determination conditions in step S30 when used in vehicle-mounted mode and in step S40 when used in handheld mode. If either determination condition is met, the processing from step S50 onwards is executed, and an operation including the measurement of the distance to the measurement target surface is performed. In other words, the terrain measurement device 20 performs an operation including the measurement of the distance to the measurement target surface in the terrain in different operating modes depending on whether vehicle-mounted mode or handheld mode (non-vehicle-mounted mode) is selected.

[0044] In step S50, the distance measuring device 201 measures the distance to the measurement target surface. Here, using the LiDAR device 21 and the stereo camera devices 22a and 22b, the distances from the current position and orientation of the terrain measuring device 20 to the measurement target surface within a predetermined range are measured respectively. At this time, only one of the LiDAR device 21 or the stereo camera devices 22a and 22b may be used. For example, when sufficiently accurate measurement is possible with the LiDAR device 21, the distance to the measurement target surface is measured using the LiDAR device 21, and the stereo camera devices 22a and 22b may be used in combination only when the measurement accuracy of the LiDAR device 21 is not sufficient. Also, the stereo camera devices 22a and 22b can be used as a function of taking images or videos without being used for distance measurement. In that case, the distance information to the measurement target surface measured by the LiDAR device 21 and the terrain image of the measurement target surface taken by the stereo camera devices 22a and 22b can be obtained together. Also, the measurement result of the distance measuring device 201 may be corrected based on the self - posture detected by the self - posture detection device 203. Note that the measurement result of the distance to the measurement target surface by the distance measuring device 201 is output from the distance measuring device 201, for example, as point cloud data representing the coordinate values of a plurality of measurement points set at predetermined intervals on the measurement target surface.

[0045] In step S60, the self - position detection device 2 tries to detect the current self - position of the terrain measuring device 20. Here, as described above, using the GNSS signals received by the GNSS antennas 23a and 23b, the position calculation unit 211 performs a predetermined arithmetic processing to detect the self - position of the terrain measuring device 20.

[0046] In step S70, the measurement data generation unit 205 generates measurement data representing the measurement results of the terrain measurement device 20 based on the measurement result of the distance to the measurement target surface obtained in step S50 and the self-position detection result obtained in step S60. Specifically, for example, measurement data can be generated by relating the point cloud data output from the distance measurement device 201 and the self-position information output from the self-position detection device 202. The measurement data generated here is stored in the measurement data storage unit 206.

[0047] In step S80, it is determined whether or not to start transmitting measurement data. Here, for example, it is determined to start transmitting measurement data at predetermined intervals. If it is determined that the transmission of measurement data should be started, the process proceeds to step S90; otherwise, the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 5 is terminated. At this time, the determination criteria in step S80 may be changed according to the operating mode of the terrain measurement device 20. For example, when the terrain measurement device 20 is operating in vehicle-mounted mode, the determination criteria in step S80 is set to the elapsed time since the last transmission, so that measurement data is transmitted at predetermined intervals. On the other hand, when the terrain measurement device 20 is operating in handheld mode (non-vehicle-mounted mode), the determination criteria in step S80 is set to whether or not measurement is performed, so that measurement data is transmitted each time the distance to the measurement target surface is measured in response to a measurement instruction from the operator. In addition to these, any arbitrary determination criteria can be used to make the determination in step S80.

[0048] In step S90, the wireless communication device 208 transmits the measurement data generated in step S70 and stored in the measurement data storage unit 206 to the construction management device 50. At this time, it is preferable to exclude the measurement data that has already been transmitted from the transmission target. Further, the measurement data may be selected by excluding the measurement data unnecessary for generating the terrain information from the collected measurement data stored in the measurement data storage unit 206. For example, measurement data with a large deviation in the coordinate values represented by the point cloud data compared to other measurement data, or duplicate measurement data representing substantially the same coordinate values as other measurement data, etc. can be excluded as unnecessary measurement data, and the measurement data can be selected. As described above, the measurement data may be transmitted without using the wireless communication device 208. When the transmission of the measurement data is completed in step S90, the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5 is terminated.

[0049] According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the following operational effects are achieved.

[0050] (1) The terrain measurement device 20 is a device that measures the surface of the terrain to be measured at the work site, and is equipped with a distance measuring device 201 that measures the distance to the surface to be measured. The terrain measurement device 20 has a mode determination unit 204 that selects one of two operating modes: an on-board mode used when mounted on a hydraulic excavator 100, which is a work machine, and a handheld mode (non-on-board mode) used when held by an operator. The distance measuring device 201 measures the distance in different operating modes depending on whether the on-board mode is selected or the handheld mode (non-on-board mode) is selected (steps S30 to S50). That is, when the on-board mode is selected, the determination process in step S30 determines whether or not to measure the surface to be measured, and when the handheld mode (non-on-board mode) is selected, the determination process in step S40 determines whether or not to measure the surface to be measured. If it is determined in each of these determination processes that the measurement of the surface to be measured should be performed (step S30: Yes or step S40: Yes), the distance is measured by the distance measuring device 201 (step S50). In this way, a terrain measurement device 20 that can be operated flexibly when used at a work site can be realized. Specifically, the terrain measurement device 20 can perform operations including measuring the distance to the measurement target surface in the terrain in different operating modes depending on whether it is in vehicle-mounted mode or handheld mode (non-vehicle-mounted mode).

[0051] (2) When the vehicle-mounted mode is selected, the terrain measuring device 20 makes a determination in step S30 based on the vehicle body state of the hydraulic excavator 100, and when the handheld mode (non-vehicle-mounted mode) is selected, it makes a determination in step S40 based on instructions from the operator. Specifically, when the vehicle-mounted mode is selected, if the vehicle body state of the hydraulic excavator 100 is either rotating or moving, step S30 is determined to be positive, and the distance to the measurement target surface is measured in the subsequent step S50. On the other hand, if the vehicle body state of the hydraulic excavator 100 is neither rotating nor moving, step S30 is determined to be negative, and the distance to the measurement target surface is not measured. In this way, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not to measure the measurement target surface in both the vehicle-mounted mode and the handheld mode (non-vehicle-mounted mode). Furthermore, by not measuring the distance to the measurement target surface when the vehicle is not turning or moving, duplicate data acquisition at the same location without vehicle movement is avoided. This reduces the processing load on the measurement data generation unit 205 of the terrain measurement device 20, the communication load on the terminal communication unit 207 and wireless communication device 208, and the processing load on the construction management device 50, as the amount of data acquired becomes excessive.

[0052] (3) The terrain measurement device 20 includes a self-position detection device 202 for detecting its own position and a self-position detection device 203 for detecting its own posture. In step S30, the state of the excavator 100 can be determined based on the time changes in its own position and posture detected by the self-position detection device 202 and the self-position detection device 203, respectively. This makes it possible for the terrain measurement device 20 alone to reliably determine whether the state of the excavator 100 corresponds to the measurement execution state, without having to acquire information from the excavator 100.

[0053] (4) The terrain measurement device 20 includes a fixing member 25 for attaching and fixing the information terminal 40 to the terrain measurement device 20, and a terminal communication unit 207 for communicating with the information terminal 40 attached and fixed by the fixing member 25. When used in handheld mode (non-vehicle mode), the operation screen displayed on the information terminal 40 by the terminal communication unit 207 can be used as an operating member for the operator to give instructions. This makes it possible to realize an operating member suitable for use in handheld mode by using an information terminal 40 such as a smartphone owned by the operator.

[0054] (5) The distance measuring device 201 includes a LiDAR device 21 (first distance measuring device) that measures the distance to the surface to be measured by scanning a laser beam across the surface and detecting the reflected wave, and stereo camera devices 22a and 22b (second distance measuring devices) that acquire image information of the surface to be measured using a stereo camera and measure the distance to the surface to be measured based on this image information. In this way, accurate distance measurement can be performed for surfaces to be measured with various terrains.

[0055] (6) The terrain measurement device 20 is equipped with a wireless communication device 208 that wirelessly transmits measurement data based on the distance measurement result to the measurement target surface by the distance measurement device 201 to an external server device, the construction management device 50. In this way, the construction management device 50, which manages construction at the work site, can easily collect the measurement data obtained by the terrain measurement device 20.

[0056] (7) The wireless communication device 208 wirelessly transmits measurement data to the construction management device 50, which is a combination of measurement data generated by the measurement data generation unit 205, i.e., point cloud data representing the coordinate values ​​of each measurement point on the measurement target surface based on the distance measurement result to the measurement target surface by the distance measuring device 201, and information on the self-position detected by the self-position detection device 202. In this way, the construction management device 50 can collect measurement data that is easy to use for construction management at the work site.

[0057] (8) The hydraulic excavator 100, which is a work machine, comprises the terrain measuring device 20 described above, a mounting member 30 that detachably holds the terrain measuring device 20, and a vehicle body (slewing body 4) to which the mounting member 30 is fixed. In this way, a work machine can be realized that can measure the surface to be measured at the work site using the terrain measuring device 20 during or after work.

[0058] (9) The mounting member 30 has a vibration damping section 33 that suppresses vibrations transmitted from the body of the hydraulic excavator 100 to the terrain measuring device 20. In this way, when used in vehicle-mounted mode, the terrain measuring device 20 is protected from vibrations of the vehicle body and a decrease in the measurement accuracy of the terrain measuring device 20 due to vibrations can be suppressed.

[0059] In the above embodiment, a hydraulic excavator 100 was described as an example of a work machine on which the terrain measurement device 20 is mounted, but other work machines may also be used. Any work machine used at a work site can be fitted with the terrain measurement device 20 by fixing the mounting member 30 to it, and the terrain measurement device 20 can be used in vehicle-mounted mode.

[0060] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as described in the claims. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add a configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Moreover, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0061] 20: Measuring device 21: LiDAR device 22a, 22b: Stereo camera device 23a, 23b: GNSS antenna 24: Handle 25: Fixing member 26: Horizontal bar 30: Mounting member 31: Main body 32: Base 33: Vibration isolation unit 40: Information terminal 50: Construction management device 60: Public communication line 100: Hydraulic excavator 201: Distance measuring device 202: Self-position detection device 203: Self-attitude detection device 204: Mode determination unit 205: Measurement data generation unit 206: Measurement data storage unit 207: Terminal communication unit 208: Wireless communication device 211: Position calculation unit

Claims

1. A topographic measuring device for measuring a surface to be measured at a work site, comprising a distance measuring device for measuring the distance to the surface to be measured, and having a mode determination unit for selecting either an on-vehicle mode for use when mounted on a work machine or an un-vehicle mode for use when detached from the work machine, wherein the distance measuring device measures the distance in different operating modes when the on-vehicle mode is selected and when the un-vehicle mode is selected.

2. A terrain measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the distance measuring device measures the distance based on the vehicle body state of the work machine when the vehicle-mounted mode is selected, and measures the distance based on instructions from the operator when the non-vehicle-mounted mode is selected.

3. A terrain measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the distance measuring device measures the distance to the measurement target surface when the vehicle mode is selected and the vehicle body state of the work machine is either turning or moving, and does not measure the distance to the measurement target surface when the vehicle body state of the work machine is neither turning nor moving.

4. A terrain measuring device according to claim 3, comprising: a self-position detection device for detecting its own position; and a self-position detection device for detecting its own posture, wherein the terrain measuring device determines the state of the vehicle body of the work machine based on the time changes of the self-position and the self-position detected by the self-position detection device and the self-position detection device, respectively.

5. A terrain measuring device according to claim 3, comprising: a fixing member for attaching and fixing an information terminal to the terrain measuring device; and a terminal communication unit for communicating with the information terminal attached and fixed by the fixing member, wherein the terminal communication unit uses an operation screen displayed on the information terminal as an operation member for the operator to give the instructions.

6. A topographic measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the distance measuring device comprises: a first distance measuring device that measures the distance to the surface to be measured by scanning a laser beam across the surface to be measured and detecting the reflected wave; and a second distance measuring device that acquires image information of the surface to be measured using a stereo camera and measures the distance to the surface to be measured based on the image information.

7. A topographic measurement device according to claim 1, comprising a wireless communication device for wirelessly transmitting measurement data based on the distance measurement result to the measurement target surface by the distance measuring device to an external server device.

8. A topographic measurement device according to claim 7, comprising a self-position detection device for detecting its own position, wherein the wireless communication device wirelessly transmits measurement data to the server device, which is a combination of point cloud data representing the coordinate values ​​of each measurement point on the measurement target surface based on the distance measurement result to the measurement target surface by the distance measurement device and the information of the self-position detected by the self-position detection device.

9. A work machine comprising: a terrain measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a mounting member for detachably holding the terrain measuring device; and a vehicle body to which the mounting member is fixed.

10. The work machine according to claim 9, wherein the mounting member has a vibration damping section that suppresses vibrations transmitted from the vehicle body to the terrain measuring device.