A remote controlled demolition robot and a computer-implemented method for triggering a safety-related automated action by a remote controlled demolition robot

Abstract

A remote controlled demolition robot (100) comprising a control unit (105) configured to control one or more actuators of the robot (100) based on control commands received from a remote control device (190) and / or from an autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the demolition robot (100), a chassis (140) with caterpillar tracks (150) arranged to support the robot (100) on a ground surface (101), a tower (130) rotatably supported on the chassis (140) to rotate about an axis of rotation (R), and a tool arm (110) supported on the tower (130), where at least one environment sensor device (170) is mounted on the tower (130) to rotate with the tower (130) about the axis of rotation (R), where the control unit (105) is configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the demolition robot (100) from the environment sensor (170), and to trigger a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the demolition robot (100), wherein the control unit (105) is configured to trigger different safety-related automated actions in dependence of where an object is detected in relation to the demolition robot (100).

Description

[0001] TITLE

[0002] Adaptive safety systems for remote controlled demolition robots

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The present disclosure relates to hydraulically powered construction equipment such as remotely controlled demolition robots and the like. There is disclosed construction equipment, control units, and methods for implementing cost-efficient, reliable and customizable safety features.

[0005] BACKGROUND

[0006] Many types of construction equipment, and remote controlled demolition robots in particular, comprise moving members and tools that may cause hazard to nearby persons, e.g., if the moving members or the tool carried by the robot suddenly move in an unexpected manner or if the operator makes a control mistake which brings a moving member of the equipment or the tool dangerously close to the operator or some other person or object at the work site.

[0007] Various safety systems have been proposed in order to improve safety for remote controlled construction equipment. WO2024215418 for instance describes a safety system which defines a number of safety zones around the equipment, and then filters detections of objects within these zones based on how the equipment is maneuvered.

[0008] However, despite the work done to-date, there is still a need for improved safety systems for remote controlled construction equipment and for construction equipment that is at least partly autonomously controlled.

[0009] US2022220696A1 describes an excavator comprising a tower mounted environment sensor.

[0010] US2022025612A1 relates to construction equipment comprising sensor-based safety systems where a working range of a tool implement is controlled.US2020291614A1 describes construction equipment comprising an environment monitoring sensor.

[0011] SUMMARY

[0012] It is an objective of the present disclosure to provide techniques that improve safety and overall functionality in construction equipment such as remote controlled demolition robots. The objective is at least in part obtained by construction equipment that comprises a control unit configured to receive control commands from a remote control device of the construction equipment and / or control commands from an autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the construction equipment. The construction equipment also comprises a chassis with caterpillar tracks arranged to support the equipment on a ground surface, a tower rotatably supported on the chassis to rotate about an axis of rotation, and a tool arm supported on the tower. At least one environment sensor device is mounted on the tower to rotate with the tower about the axis of rotation, such as any of a vision-based sensor, a lidar sensor, a radar sensor, and / or an ultrasound sensor. The control unit is configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment from the environment sensor, and to trigger a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment. The position of the environment sensor on the rotatable tower of the equipment is advantageous in that it offers a relatively clear vantage point from which the tool arm and the ground surface supporting the construction equipment can be viewed. The environment sensor rotates together with the tower, and therefore the viewing angle of the environment sensor relative to the tool arm does not change as the tower rotates, which is an advantage when it comes to processing data from the sensor by the control unit, since it always faces in the same direction relative to the tool arm and any tool carried on the distal end of the tool arm. The environment sensor can be placed on the tower with a lateral offset relative to a vertical centrum plane of the construction equipment. The vertical centrum plane is aligned with the axis of rotation of thetower and with the tool arm. This lateral offset from the vertical centrum plane provides a less obstructed view of a tool attached to the distal end of the tool arm as the tool arm moves, and also improves the view of the ground surface on one side of the construction equipment. Two spatially separated environment sensors, arranged on opposite sides of the vertical centrum plane of the equipment, provides an even better view of a tool attached at the distal end of the tool arm and of the ground surface around the construction equipment.

[0013] The control unit is preferably configured to trigger different safety-related automated actions in dependence of where an object is detected in relation to the construction equipment. The control unit can, for instance, reduce a movement speed of one or more movable members of the construction equipment in response to detecting a person within a first distance of the tool or the tool arm, and halt the construction equipment entirely if the person comes within a second distance smaller than the first distance. This allows the construction equipment to be used in confined spaces since the operator can be located within the first distance of the tool and still use the equipment, albeit at a reduced movement speed.

[0014] The safety-related automated action may, for instance, comprise a reduction in motion speed or halting of at least one actuator of the construction equipment in response to detecting an object, such as a person, in vicinity of the construction equipment. The safety-related automated action may also comprise rejection of a control command from a remote control device of the construction equipment and / or a control command from an autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the construction equipment. The operator of the construction equipment may, for instance be located at a position from which he or she cannot see that a vulnerable object such as another person has entered within reach of a movable member on the construction equipment and inadvertently give a control command which would cause hazard to the vulnerable object. Such commands may be automatically rejected by the construction equipment, thus improving safety at the work site.According to an example the control unit may trigger a warning comprising, e.g., a notification issued by the remote control device of the construction equipment if a new vulnerable object has been detected by the control unit, based on the data provided by the environment sensor, in order to notify the operator of the appearance of the new vulnerable object.

[0015] According to other aspects, the control unit is configured to trigger different safety-related automated actions in dependence of a type of tool currently mounted on the tool arm. It is appreciated that some types of tools may pose a more severe threat to, e.g., an unprotected person in vicinity of the construction equipment compared to other less dangerous tools. An active breaker or saw, for instance, is not only dangerous in itself, but often also ejects dust and debris into the surrounding environment when used. This debris can strike a person located nearby, and the dust may also pose a hazard since it may be dangerous to inhale. A bucket, on the other hand, is a more passive tool which may not be as dangerous, at least not in some scenarios. The control unit, having regard to the type of tool attached at the distal end of the tool arm, advantageously modulates the magnitude and the extent of the different safety-related automated actions that are triggered, in dependence of the type of tool currently mounted on the tool arm.

[0016] The construction equipment may comprise an electrical power cable interface for connecting the equipment to electrical mains. This electrical power cable interface often comprises a support arm that extends out from the tower, normally in a direction away from the tower. In this case the environment sensor device can be mounted on top of the support arm, or at least in connection to the support arm, which is a position that offers a good vantage point for observing, e.g., the ground surface around the construction equipment and also the tool arm and the tool mounted on the distal end of the tool arm.

[0017] According to some aspects, the environment sensor comprises a lidar sensor arranged to detect objects in a horizontal plane that intersects the environment sensor. The environment sensor may, of course, also scan a larger volumearound the construction equipment. However, lidar sensors that are configured to detect object in a horizontal plane are often of relatively low cost compared to more advanced lidar sensor arrangements. The environment sensor may furthermore comprise at least one mirror arranged to deflect light from the sensor towards the ground surface. This way a horizontal plane scanning lidar sensor can be used also to scan parts of the ground surface around the construction equipment, which is an advantage.

[0018] According to some aspects, the control unit is configured to identify a work object to be engaged by a tool supported on a distal end of the tool arm among the objects in vicinity of the construction equipment. The control unit can then be configured to trigger the safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment which is different from the work object. Various methods for detecting and classifying objects detected in vicinity of the construction equipment will be discussed below. By only triggering safety-related automated actions in response to detecting objects which are not work objects, the number of unnecessary trigger events can be reduced.

[0019] According to some other aspects, the control unit is configured to identify a vulnerable object among the objects in vicinity of the construction equipment. In this case the control unit can be configured to prevent the tool arm and / or any tool connected to the distal end of the tool arm from entering into a three-dimensional protected zone defined by a bounding volume of the vulnerable object. This way the tool arm does not become as restricted in its movement as is the case for a two-dimensional protected zone. The operator may, for instance, be allowed to control the construction equipment from a location above the tool, even though the location of the operator and the location of the tool are very close if measured along a horizontal direction. The operator may in some cases be located directly above the tool, with only a vertical separation between the operator and the tool.

[0020] The control unit can also be configured to monitor positions of actuators on the construction equipment, and to determine an occupied volume indicating avolume occupied by stationary parts of the construction equipment based on the positions of the actuators. The control unit can in this case be configured to prevent the tool arm and / or any tool connected to the distal end of the tool arm from entering into the occupied volume. Thus, the tool and / or the tool arm can be prevented from colliding with other parts of the construction equipment, such as deployed outriggers, the tracks, or parts of the tower. This safety-related action does not rely on signals from an environment sensor, which is an advantage.

[0021] According to aspects, the control unit is arranged obtain data indicative of a type of tool connected to the distal end of the tool arm, and to determine a three-dimensional safety zone around the tool. The size of the safety zone around the tool is preferably determined by the control unit in dependence of the type of tool connected to the distal end of the tool arm. This type of safety-related action is computationally efficient, in that a type of “no-go” zone is defined around the tool, where the size of the no-go zone depends on the type of tool. No vulnerable object is allowed to come inside the three-dimensional safety zone around the tool. If this happens, then the movement speed of the tool can be decreased or the machine can be stopped altogether.

[0022] According to some further aspects, the safety-related automated action comprises automatic engagement of an actuator lock function of the construction equipment. The control unit can be configured to prevent disengagement of the lock function unless the remote control device of the construction equipment is in a predetermined passive state. This means that the operator must place the controls in passive state before the machine can revert back to normal operation. For example, suppose that the movement speed of the movable members on the equipment has been reduced as part of a safety-related automated action, or that the machine has been inactivated, i.e., halted, as part of the safety-related action. The operatorthen has to place controls in a passive state, such as centering both joysticks and releasing all thumb control switches on the remote control device, before the machine mac be unlocked and normal operations can be resumed. This prevents unintendedsudden movements by the machine as it reverts from a limited mode of operation into a normal operating mode.

[0023] The remote control device of the construction equipment preferably comprises at least one joystick. The at least one joystick can then comprise a force feedback arrangement configured to apply a variable force in a feedback direction. The variable feedback force and / or the feedback direction can for instance be determined in dependence of a position of a tool connected to the distal end of the tool arm in relation to an identified object in vicinity of the construction equipment. This way an operator senses, via the force feedback mechanism, that some controls are undesired and may result in hazard. The operator, having been made aware of this, can investigate the reason for the reluctance in the controls applied by the force feedback arrangement. The magnitude of the feedback force can be configured such that it increases with a decreasing distance between the tool and the identified object. The force feedback signal thus becomes stronger and stronger the more the risk of damage to a vulnerable object or the like increases. The feedback direction preferably corresponds to a motion direction of the tool away from the vulnerable identified object.

[0024] According to some aspects, the control unit is configured to determine a three-dimensional stability zone indicative of a stable operating position range of a tool connected to the distal end of the tool arm. The control unit having regard to the stable operating position range, can be configured to prevent movement of the tool outside of the stability zone. The three-dimensional stability zone is preferably determined in dependence of a weight of the tool. This way the risk of tipping over due to a heavy tool is significantly decreased, which is an advantage. The three-dimensional stability zone is preferably determined in dependence of a state of one or more outriggers of the construction equipment. The outriggers, when deployed, has a stabilizing effect on the construction equipment. The operator that receives notifications of problems related to stability, and / or experiences maneuver limitations of the construction equipment due to potential issues with stability, is then reminded to deploy the outriggers in order to improve stability. The reverse may also happen, i.e., theoutriggers need not be used as long as no stability-related warning or other safety-related action is triggered by the control unit. The operator can then avoid the extra delay in deployed outriggers for work tasks that do not require the extra stability provided by the outriggers.

[0025] The construction equipment disclosed herein may furthermore comprise an authentication function associated with a safety system override function. In this case the control unit can be configured to desist or prevent triggering of the safety-related automated action in case of authorized engagement of the safety system override function. In other words, the control unit can implement an over-ride function which disables the triggering of the safety-related automated action by the control unit, but only in cases where the operator first authenticates himself or herself as an operator with permission to at least temporarily disable one or more safety functions on the machine.

[0026] At least some of the control units described herein are arranged to obtain the data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment as environment scene data for a past time instant and for a current time instant. The control unit may then identify an object in vicinity of the construction equipment in case of a discrepancy between the past time instant data and the current time instant data. In other words, by comparing the past and the current work site scene data, any new objects that have appeared can be identified. The new objects may be vulnerable objects, and may warrant triggering of safety-related automated actions in case the tool and / or some other movable member on the construction equipment comes too close to the new object.

[0027] There are also disclosed herein processing circuits, computer programs, computer program products as well as methods associated with the advantages mentioned above.

[0028] Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to "a / an / the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc." are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly statedotherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated. Further features of, and advantages with, the present invention will become apparent when studying the appended claims and the following description. The skilled person realizes that different features of the present invention may be combined to create embodiments other than those described in the following, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0029] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the appended drawings, where

[0031] Figure 1 shows an example remote controlled demolition robot;

[0032] Figures 2A-D show example tools for use with a demolition robot;

[0033] Figure 3 illustrates an example portable remote control device;

[0034] Figure 4 shows a rotatable tower with example sensor device locations; Figure 5 shows a remote controlled demolition robot in use;

[0035] Figure 6 schematically illustrates an example lidar-based sensor;

[0036] Figures 7A-C show an example environment sensor device;

[0037] Figure 8 schematically shows an example equipment pose model; Figure 9 is a flow chart illustrating methods;

[0038] Figure 10 schematically illustrates a control unit; and

[0039] Figure 11 schematically illustrates a computer program product.

[0040] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain aspects of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and shouldnot be construed as limited to the embodiments and aspects set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description.

[0042] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

[0043] Figure 1 illustrates a remote controlled demolition robot, which is an example of more general construction equipment 100 where the techniques discussed herein can be applied. The various technical features and functions disclosed herein will be exemplified by a remote controlled demolition robot, i.e., the type of construction equipment illustrated in Figure 1. It is, however, appreciated that many aspects of the present disclosure is in no way limited to demolition robots, but can be applied generally in many types of construction equipment, such as excavators, wheel loaders, haulers, mobile cranes, and so on.

[0044] The demolition robot comprises tracks 150 for maneuvering the robot over the ground surface 101. The bottom parts of the tracks 150 that engage the ground surface 101 define a support plane of the construction equipment 100. Both electrically powered tracks and hydraulically powered tracks can be used with the type of construction equipment 100 discussed herein. The tracks are supported on a chassis 140 of the construction equipment, which normally comprises steel beams or the like welded into a rigid frame. The chassis 140 normally extends along a plane parallel to the support plane defined by the tracks 150.

[0045] A tower 130 or body is rotatably mounted on the chassis 140. The tower can rotate about a rotation axis R which is normal to the support plane defined by the tracks 150.

[0046] Outriggers 145 extend out from the chassis 140. The outriggers 145 support the chassis 140 on the ground surface 101 when deployed (as in Figure 1) andoffers an alternative or a complement to the ground support provided by the tracks 150. The outriggers 145 can be retracted to reduce the footprint of the machine, e.g., during transportation or when the additional support provided by the outriggers is not necessary. The example machine in Figure 1 comprises four outriggers 145, two at each longitudinal end of the machine. At deployment the outriggers pivot out from the chassis to engage the ground surface with respective distal ends. The outriggers 145, when used to support the construction equipment on the ground surface 101, can be used to generate both a distance and an angle between the support plane defined by the tracks and the ground surface 101. In Figure 1 the construction equipment has been elevated from the ground surface by the outriggers 145.

[0047] An arm 110, sometimes referred to as a tool carrier, is supported by the tower 130 and extends out from the tower 130. The tool carrier arm 110 comprises three joints that connect three respective arm segments 111, 112, 113. Hydraulic cylinder actuators control the pivoting motion of the arm segments about the joints in a known manner. The position of these hydraulic cylinders has a one-to-one correspondence to the respective joint angle. Thus, as will be discussed in more detail below in connection to Figure 8, the cylinder positions can be translated using a computer-implemented model into a current three-dimensional pose of the construction equipment.

[0048] A fourth hydraulically actuated joint 114 is located at the distal end of the arm 110 where an interface for attachment of a replaceable tool 120 is located. The four arm joints allow a tool 120 attached to the distal end of the tool carrier arm 110 to be moved with great dexterity, as will be discussed in more detail below in connection to Figure 5. There can be less than four joints and also more than found joints. However, a tool carrier arm with four joints and three arm segments has been found particularly suitable for remote controlled demolition robots of the type shown in Figure 1.

[0049] The construction equipment 100 is normally powered by an onboard hydraulic system which comprises a hydraulic pump, valves, and actuators which control movement of the different members on the equipment 100, such as rotation ofthe tower 130 and movement of the tool carrier arm 110, in a known manner. An on-board control unit 105 controls the different operations of the equipment 100. The on-board control unit 105 communicates with the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic valves of the hydraulic system using electrical signals which may be analog or digital signals. A controller area network (CAN) may be used by the control unit 105 to communicate with the valves and with other devices onboard the construction equipment 100. The control unit 105 also communicates with a remote control device 190, which will be discussed in more detail below.

[0050] The construction equipment 100 can be remote controlled from a portable remote control device 190 which can be used by an operator 180 walking next to the equipment. The remote control device 190 sends control signals to the onboard control unit 105 via a wired or a wireless communication channel, which then controls the different actuators of the construction equipment 100 accordingly. The operator 180 may also be located further away from the machine, such as in a remote control room 195 several kilometers away, in which case a video feed can be used to control the various actuators on the equipment 100.

[0051] The construction equipment 100 can also be controlled at least partly by control commands generated by an autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the construction equipment. This controller can be implemented as a software module that is executed by the control unit 105, or by some other processing circuitry. At least parts of this autonomous or semi-autonomous controller may be executed at a remote location, such as at a remote control server that is connected to the control unit 105 by wireless and / or wired data link.

[0052] The various safety-related automated actions discussed herein can be used as a safety monitor of the autonomous or semi-autonomous controller, just like if the control commands are received from a human operator via the remote control device 190. This provides an additional level of safety, which is an advantage. For instance, if the autonomous or semi-autonomous controllergenerates a control command which is deemed unsafe by the control unit 105 implementing one or more of the functions discussed herein, then a safety-related action by the control unit will be triggered to mitigate risks associated with the potentially unsafe operation. The control unit is thus configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment 100 from the environment sensor 170, and to trigger a safety-related automated action which regulates or modifies the control command received from the autonomous controller in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment 100.

[0053] Methods and systems for autonomous and semi-autonomous control of construction equipment are generally known and will therefore not be discussed in more detail herein.

[0054] The construction equipment 100 is powered by an electrical interface 160 as exemplified in Figure 1. This electrical interface is arranged to be connected to electrical mains or to some other source of electrical power at the work site, such as a genset or an external battery pack. The electrical cable extends out from the tower 130 and may be supported by an electrical interface support arm 165. The construction equipment 100 may also comprise an onboard battery pack to complement the external power supply. Such demolition robots are generally known as hybrid demolition robots.

[0055] The support arm 165 is a member which extends away from the center of the tower, preferably in a direction away from the ground surface 101 so as to elevate the cable. The support arm 165 may also be arranged to support a CAN bus cable for connecting the construction equipment 100 to auxiliary equipment such as a wired remote control device. The support arm 165 may be a fixed arm or rotatably supported on the tower 130.

[0056] Various types of tools 120 can be mounted at the distal end of the arm 110. Figures 2A-D show a breaker 210, shears 220, a bucket 230 and a grapple 240, which are all examples of tools that can be carried by the arm 110. Some of the tool types are hydraulically actuated active tools, such as the breaker 210, the shears 220 and the grapple 240, while the bucket is a passive toolwhich is not hydraulically actuated other than the motion about the distal pivot axle of the tool carrier arm 110 which is used to curl and uncurl the bucket 230 in use. The weight of the tool attached to the distal end of the tool arm 110 often has a significant impact on the stability of the machine in use. A heavy tool which is positioned far from the center of the tower 130 may cause instability of the machine, which may result in the machine tipping over, which of course is highly undesirable. The control unit 105 may be configured to obtain data related to hydraulic pressures at the different cylinders on the tool arm 110. This data can be used in a computer implemented model together with the current pose of the construction equipment to determine if the equipment is within a stable operating region or if there is a risk of instability. The various moving parts on the construction equipment 100, such as the tool carrier arm 110, the tool 120, and the rotatable tower 130, may cause hazard to persons and other objects in vicinity of the equipment. A person such as the operator 180 standing next to the machine may, e.g., be injured if the equipment 100 all of a sudden starts to rotate R, or if the arm 110 suddenly makes an unexpected pivoting motion about one or more of its different pivot axes. Such unexpected motion by one or more movable members of the construction equipment 100 may be caused accidentally by the operator 180 of the equipment 100, but it may also be caused by malfunction in the machine, such as malfunction in one or more hydraulic valves that control the various actuators of the construction equipment 100, or a software error in the control unit 105. It is a purpose of the present disclosure to reduce hazard to persons and objects in vicinity of the equipment 100.

[0057] Safety systems known in the art comprise sensor systems which detect when persons or other objects come to close to the machine in use, and inactivates the machine when this happens. A remote controlled demolition robot is, however, sometimes used in tight areas where space is scarce. A purpose of some of the techniques disclosed herein is to allow use of safety systems also in restricted areas.Due to the dexterity and reach of the tool carrier arm 110, the tool 120 supported on the tool arm 110 may inadvertently collide with parts of the construction equipment, such as the outriggers 145 when deployed. Aspects of the present disclosure relate to safety-related automated actions which will prevent collision between the movable members of the construction equipment and other parts of the same construction equipment.

[0058] When the control unit 105 determines that a potentially dangerous situation is about to occur, such as if the tool 120 comes too close to a vulnerable person located in vicinity of the construction equipment 100, or if a current control command is likely to result in the machine tilting over due to instability, it will trigger a safety-related automated action which may comprise, e.g., slowing down movement by one or more movable members on the machine, or even halting the movable members. The safety-related automated action may also comprise rejection of a control command from the remote control device, i.e., a user input given by the operator is ignored in case the user input is deemed to increase risk in some way, or actuation of a force feedback mechanism implemented in the remote control device 190 which mechanically resists an undesired operator control input to, e.g., the joysticks of the remote control device.

[0059] The safety- related automated action may be software-based and / or hardware based. A software based safety related action may comprise adaptation of electronic control signals from the control unit 105 to the hydraulic valves, the hydraulic pump, and other actuators on the machine are adapted such as to reduce movement speed or halt movement entirely. A software based safety related action may also comprise adaptation or even rejection of control inputs provided by the operator. In this case the system may automatically attenuate or even disregard control inputs which are deemed hazardous.

[0060] According to some aspects, the hydraulic system on the construction equipment 100 comprises a dump valve configured to divert hydraulic flow from the hydraulic pump to a hydraulic tank of the hydraulic system upstream from one or more actuators of the hydraulic system. In this case the controlunit 105 can activate the dump valve as part of a hardware based safety-related automated action in order to reduce or stop hydraulic flow to the different hydraulic actuators on the construction equipment 100. At least a part of the hydraulic flow from the hydraulic pump is then prevented from reaching the actuators, which effectively slows down or halts the movement of the movable members on the construction equipment.

[0061] Figure 3 shows an example remote control device 190. The device may be a portable device which the operator 180 can carry while moving around the work site or a device designed to be used as a remote control station 195 located far away from the construction equipment 100. The remote control device comprises a remote control device control unit 300, two joysticks 310, 320, and a display unit 330. The operator 180 manipulates the two joysticks 310, 320 in a known manner which causes the remote control device control unit 300 to send control commands to the onboard control unit 105, which in turn controls the different actuators on the construction equipment 100.

[0062] Any safety-related automated action triggered by the control unit 105 and / or by the remote control device control unit 300 may comprise rejection of a control command from the remote control device 190. This means that the nominal input range 350, 370 of the two joysticks 310, 320 which normally comprises variable magnitude input over a 360 degree range is restricted in angle and / or in magnitude. In the example shown in Figure 3, the control input range of the left joystick 310 has been restricted over an angular range 340, while the control input range of the right joystick 320 has been restricted in magnitude over an angular range 360. In case the operator moves the joystick into the restricted control input range, no corresponding actuation ora reduced speed actuation by the actuators on the construction equipment will result. The restricted input ranges may be configured by the remote control device control unit 300 and / or by the onboard control unit 105.

[0063] For example, suppose that an operator 180 is operating construction equipment 100 and that a three-dimensional safety zone has been defined around the tool 120 attached to the distal end of the tool arm 110. A safety-related action will be triggered by the control unit 105 in case an object (which is not a work object to be engaged by the tool) enters the safety zone. Methods for detecting and optionally also classifying objects based on data from one or more environment sensors 170 arranged on the construction equipment 100 will be discussed below. The safety-related action may comprise a restriction of the input commands that are possible to give, e.g., by simply ignoring any input commands above a given magnitude 360, or in a given direction 340 which will bring the object further into the three-dimensional safety zone. One or both joysticks 310, 320 of the remote control device 190 may comprise a force feedback arrangement configured to apply a variable force in a feedback direction. The force feedback may comprise applying a directional force which urges the joystick in a given direction or just a variable resistance which the operator must overcome in order to manipulate the joystick. Example feedback forces F1 and F2 are indicated in Figure 3. The operator manipulating the joystick will then feel resistance when moving the joystick in a given direction, such as into a restricted control input zone 340, 360, or feel an urge by the joystick to move in a given direction, such as away from the restricted input zone 340, 360. The force feedback arrangement is controlled by the remote control device control unit 300, normally based on data and / or instructions from the onboard control unit 105.

[0064] The variable feedback force and / or the feedback direction can be determined by the remote control device control unit 300 in dependence of a position of a tool 120 connected to the distal end of the tool arm 110 in relation to an identified object in vicinity of the construction equipment 100. Suppose for instance the operator is attempting to move the tool from one position to another position which is deemed too close to a vulnerable object such as a person standing next to the construction equipment or some stationary part of the construction equipment, such as an outrigger 145. Methods and arrangements for detecting and identifying vulnerable objects in vicinity of the construction equipment will be discussed in more detail below. The remote control device control unit 300 can then use the force feedback arrangement to resist the manipulation by the operator, thus informing the operator that thecurrent maneuver is undesirable. The force feedback may be strong enough to actually prevent the operator from manipulating the joysticks in an undesired manner. Thus, according to some aspects the force feedback mechanism is arranged to restrict the manipulation range of the joysticks to a part of the nominal manipulation range. The restricted manipulation range may, e.g., be limited in magnitude in some directions of the joystick as in the example 360 and / or restricted in which angles the joystick can be moved by the operator as in the example 340.

[0065] The magnitude of the feedback force preferably increases with a decreasing distance between the tool 120 and the identified object. This means that the onboard control unit 105 and / or the remote control device control unit 300 is configured to determine where in relation to the construction equipment an identified vulnerable object is located and determine the distance from the tool to the object. The closer the tool gets to the vulnerable object the harder it becomes for the operator to manipulate the joystick in a manner which brings the tool even closer to the object. This way the operator will understand that the current way of manipulating the joystick is undesirable. The application of force feedback in this manner may be complemented by a warning message on the display 330 and / or by a warning signal of some sort, such as a sound or a light signal.

[0066] The feedback direction preferably corresponds to a motion direction of the tool 120 away from the identified object. This means that the joystick is urged by the force feedback arrangement in a manipulation direction which will increase the distance from the tool to the identified vulnerable object. Thus, an operator trying to manipulate a joystick in a manner which brings the tool closer to an identified vulnerable object will experience a resistance and an urge of the joystick to move in an opposite direction. An operator complying with the force feedback and manipulates the joystick in a manner which brings the tool further away from the identified vulnerable object will not feel any resistance, or at least a decreased resistance.At least one environment sensor 170 is arranged on the construction equipment 100 in order to monitor the surrounding environment of the machine 100. This sensor may be configured to detect objects in vicinity of the construction equipment 100, such as vulnerable objects like persons and also work objects that are to be engaged by the equipment performing a work task. Vision-based sensors such as cameras, lidar-based sensors, and radar-based sensors are some example environment sensors 170 that will be discussed in more detail below.

[0067] The example environment sensor 170 in Figure 1 is mounted on the tower 130, which means that it will rotate together with the tower 130 about the axis of rotation R. The position on the tower is advantageous since it offers a relatively clear view of the work site in vicinity of the construction equipment. The environment sensor 170 may, for instance, obtain a relative clear view along the horizontal plane 175 which intersects the sensor, and also obtain an unobstructed view of at least parts of the ground surface 101 around the construction equipment 100, as illustrated by the example sight lines 171, 172. The environment sensor 170 may comprise any of a vision-based sensor such as a camera, a light detection and ranging (lidar) sensor, a radio detection and ranging (radar) sensor, and / or an ultrasound sensor. An example environment sensor 170 comprising a radar or lidar sensor arranged to detect objects in a horizontal plane 175 intersecting the environment sensor 170, and also objects located closer to the ground surface 101 will be discussed in more detail below in connection to Figure 6 and Figures 7A-C.

[0068] The environment sensor 170 detects objects in vicinity of the construction equipment 100, such as within 5m-50m of the construction equipment. Object detection may be implemented in the environment sensor 170 or in the control unit 105 based on sensor data received from the environment sensor 170. Thus, the environment sensor 170 may be arranged to feed object detection data and / or raw sensor data to the control unit 105 for further processing. In case of a lidar or radar sensor, the object detection data may comprise a target list indicating detected objects in vicinity of the construction equipment alongwith the relative positions and potentially also including classification data indicating which type of object that has been detected, such as a person, another vehicle, a work object, and so on.

[0069] The control unit 105 processes the data from the environment sensor 170 and performs one or more safety-related automated actions in response to detection of an object in vicinity of the construction equipment, such as if a foreign object appears within a predetermined safety zone centered on the tool 120 attached to the distal end of the tool carrier arm 110.

[0070] Methods for monitoring an environment by a sensor such as a camera, lidar or radar, in order to detect and classify objects in the environment are known in the art and will therefore not be discussed in more detail herein. The combination of environment sensor 170 and on-board control unit 105 is used by the construction equipment system to mitigate hazards such as collision between the tool and a vulnerable object in vicinity of the construction equipment.

[0071] To summarize, there is disclosed remote controlled construction equipment 100 comprising a control unit 105 configured to receive control commands from a remote control device 190, a chassis 140 with caterpillar tracks 150 arranged to support the equipment 100 on a ground surface 101, a tower 130 rotatably supported on the chassis 140 to rotate about an axis of rotation R, and a tool arm 110 supported by the tower 130. At least one environment sensor device 170 is mounted on the tower 130 to rotate with the tower 130 about the axis of rotation R, where the control unit 105 is configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment 100 from the environment sensor 170, and to trigger a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment 100. The safety-related automated action may comprise a reduction in motion speed or halting of at least one actuator of the construction equipment 100 and / or triggering generation of a warning signal such as an alarm sound and / or warning light signal. The safety-related automated action may also comprise a restriction of the input commands to the remote control device 190 which areallowed, and / or control of a force feedback system of the remote control device, as discussed above in connection to Figure 3.

[0072] By placing the environment sensor 170 on the tower 130, as opposed to on the chassis 140 or on the tool arm 110, a clearer view of the work site in vicinity of the construction equipment 100 can be obtained compared to if the environment sensor is positioned closer to the ground surface 101. The environment sensor 170 is also better protected from damage by debris and the like when located at an elevated position on the tower 130. One or more environment sensors 170 can be used to obtain a more complete view of the environment around the construction equipment 100. Environment sensors of different types can also be combined to increase object detection performance, such as a combination of one or more cameras and one or more lidar sensors and / or radar sensors.

[0073] According to some aspects, the environment sensor module 170 is vibrationally decoupled from the tower structure, e.g., by resilient bushings or other vibration-decoupling members. This vibrational decoupling reduces the amount of vibration at the sensor device in the environment sensor module 170, which improves the quality of the sensor data.

[0074] As discussed above, and exemplified in Figure 1 , the construction equipment 100 may comprise an electrical power cable interface 160 with a support arm 165 that extends out from the tower 130 in a horizontal and / or vertical direction. In this case the environment sensor device 170 can advantageously be mounted on the support arm 165, which distances the environment sensor 170 from the geometric center of the tower 130 and provides an even better view of the environment surrounding the construction equipment.

[0075] The onboard control unit 105 receives data from the environment sensor 170 related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment, and in a preferred embodiment also classifies the different objects in vicinity of the construction equipment according to their type, e.g., vulnerable objects, structural objects of the environment not to be engaged by the tool, and work objects to be engaged by the tool. The position of the different objects and their respectivespatial extensions is therefore, according to some example implementations, known by the control unit 105.

[0076] Figure 4 shows some example placements 500 of environment sensors on the tower structure 130 of remote controlled construction equipment 100. Environment sensors 410, 420 are placed on top of the tower 130, above a midpoint plane 560 which is parallel to the support plane defined by the tracks 150 and which intersects a vertical midpoint of the tower as shown in Figure 5. In other words, the midpoint plane 560 divides the tower into an upper and a lower half. The two sensors 410, 420 are placed on opposite sides of the tower 130, separated by a vertical center plane which extends longitudinally and intersects the tool carrier arm 120 and the tower axis of rotation R. The two sensors 410, 420 are offset laterally away from the vertical center plane by a distance, such as more than 10cm and preferably more than 20cm away from the vertical center plane of the construction equipment 100. This lateral offset allows a better view of, e.g., the tool mounted at the distal end of the tool arm, since the view of the tool is not occluded by the tool arm. The lateral offset distance can be measured along a normal to the vertical center plane.

[0077] Another environment sensor 430 is placed on the electrical interface support arm 165. This location, as noted above, is particularly advantageous since it offers a clear view of the work site in vicinity of the construction equipment, and also a clear view of most of the ground surface 101 around the construction equipment 100. The support arm 165 may as noted above be fixed to the tower 130 or rotatably supported on the tower 130.

[0078] Additional possible locations for placing an environment sensor 170 are the lower corners 440 of the tower 130, and / or in connection to headlights 450 of the construction equipment 100, which in this case are located at the front of the tower 130, as shown in Figure 4.

[0079] Figure 5 shows some example poses 500 of example construction equipment 100, i.e., different geometrical configurations of the movable members on the construction equipment which can be obtained by manipulating the controls on the remote control device 190. By keeping track of the state of the differentactuators of the equipment, such as the positions of the hydraulic cylinders of the tool arm 110 and the current rotation angle of the tower 130 about the rotation axis R, the control unit 105 can determine the current pose of the construction equipment 100, and therefore also the position of, e.g., the tool and the arm in relation to the support plane defined by the tracks 150 and a longitudinal or forward direction of the construction equipment 100 which may be defined as the intersection line between the support plane 540 and a vertical plane inbetween the two tracks 150 of the construction equipment 100.

[0080] A three-dimensional position 570 relative to the construction equipment 100 may be defined by a support plane angle a which is an angle in the support plane measured relative to the forward direction which in the example of Figure 5 has been taken to coincide with the extension direction of the left track, an elevation angle e measured in a plane orthogonal to the support plane and a length I, as illustrated in Figure 5. By giving ranges to these position parameters a three-dimensional region or zone can be defined.

[0081] To summarize, a support plane 540 of the construction equipment 100 can be defined based on the bottom portion of the tracks 150, or based on an extension plane of the chassis 140 of the construction equipment. This support plane 540 is parallel to the horizontal plane if the construction equipment 100 is placed on a level surface, and otherwise has an angle relative to the horizontal plane. A center point of the support plane 540 can be defined by the intersection of the axis of rotation R and the support plane 540. A reference direction in the support plane can be defined as a forward direction of the chassis 140 in the support plane.

[0082] A three-dimensional position 570 relative to the construction equipment can be defined as a three-dimensional vector which originates at the center point and has a length I (measured, e.g., in meters). The angle of the vector in space can be specified by a support plane angle a measured in the support plane relative to the forward direction of the chassis 140, similar to a bearing, and by an angle e measured in a plane that is orthogonal to the support plane 540. The angle e resembles an elevation angle measured from the support plane. Othercoordinate systems can of course also be defined. The three-dimensional position 570 can for instance be defined in terms of Cartesian coordinates. Figure 8 schematically illustrates how an example computer implemented model 800 of machine pose can be realized. The model is parameterized by the geometry of the different parts on the construction equipment, such as the dimensions of the tracks 150, the shape and size of the tower 130, and the tool arm 110. Of particular interest are the different lengths lltl2, / 3of the different tool arm segments 111, 112, 113, and the length Z4of the tool 120 attached to the distal end of the tool carrier arm 110. The pivot angles p4, p2, p3of the tool arm segments 111, 112, 113, and the pivot angle p4of the tool 120 are also important, as well as the rotation angle (J2of the tower 130 about the axis of rotation R, relative to the chassis and the tracks. The rotation angle of the chassis

[0083]

[0084] relative to, e.g., magnetic north, can be used to align the positions of the parts on the construction equipment 100 in relation to some global reference system such as WGS-84. The control unit 105, having information about the current values of the different model parameters can determine the current pose of the construction equipment 100 and thus also the positions of the movable members and the other parts of the equipment 100. It is appreciated that there is a one-to-one mapping between the state of a given hydraulic cylinder such as the cylinder 810 and the corresponding pivot angle p2.

[0085] Having information about the different weights measured, e.g., in kilograms, of the parts of the construction equipment also allows the control unit 105 to establish a stability model which indicates what poses that can be considered stable and which poses that are potentially unstable, i.e., where the machine may tip over. By combining information related to part weight and construction equipment pose, a mass centre 820 of the construction equipment 100 can be determined in a straight-forward manner using techniques known in the art. If this mass centre 820 is located inside the ground support region 830 of the construction equipment 100, as provided by the computer implemented model 800, then the construction equipment 100 can be said to be in a stable pose or state. A risk of tipping over exists if the mass centre 820 comes close to theboundary of the ground support region 830. The orientation of the support plane 540 relative to the horizontal plane of course also has an effect on the stability of the construction equipment 100. Stability calculations based on computer implemented models such as the model 800 are generally known and will therefore not be discussed in more detail herein. Three-dimensional stability zones indicative of a stable operating position range of a tool 120 connected to the distal end of the tool arm 110, as function of an estimated weight of the tool.

[0086] According to some aspects, the control unit 105 is configured to determine a three-dimensional stability zone indicative of a stable operating position range of a tool 120 connected to the distal end of the tool arm 110. In this case the control unit 105 can be configured to prevent movement of the tool 120 outside of the stability zone. The three-dimensional stability zone is preferably determined in dependence of a weight of the tool 120. The control unit 105, having regard to the different states of the actuators of the equipment, knows the current pose of the construction equipment, i.e. , in which position the tool arm is, how the tower is rotated, and so on. This current pose can be fed into a computer implemented stability model which has been parameterized a-priori by data on weights of the different parts of the machine. This computer implemented stability model is configured to indicate over which position range the construction equipment is stable. If the tool is moved outside of the stability range there will be a risk that the machine tips over. The weight of the tool can be a fixed weight, as is the case for a breaker, or a variable weight which may be appropriate for a bucket or a grapple which will weigh more when holding material, and less when empty. The weight of material held in a bucket, or a grapple can be determined by the control unit 105 by monitoring hydraulic pressure in actuators of the hydraulic system, and mapping these hydraulic pressures together with the current pose of the equipment to tool weight by a computer implemented model.

[0087] The three-dimensional stability zone is, according to some aspect, determined in dependence of a state of one or more outriggers 145 of the construction equipment 100. The state of the outriggers 145 of course has an effect on thestability of the construction equipment 100. The state of the outriggers 145 can also be fed into the computer implemented stability model in order to also account for the improved support provided by the outriggers.

[0088] The position of a movable member on the construction equipment 100 can be indicated in three-dimensional coordinates relative to a local coordinate reference system defined by the support plane 540 and the axis of rotation R. Any three-dimensional point in vicinity of the construction equipment 100 can be defined by the angle a in the support plane relative to the extension direction of the tracks, the elevation angle e, and the length of the vector I. The height 550 above the support plane 540 measured along the axis of rotation R normal to the support plane can also be used as reference to indicate location relative to the construction equipment 100.

[0089] The control unit 105, having access to information about the positions of objects 530, 590 in vicinity of the construction equipment, and also the current pose of the construction equipment 100 in terms of, e.g., the state of the tool carrier arm 110, the tool 120, and the tower 130, may determine whether the current operating position of the tool in relation to the objects in vicinity of the construction equipment 100 is safe or not.

[0090] In other words, the control unit 105 can be configured to monitor positions of actuators such as hydraulic cylinders and electric actuators on the construction equipment 100 using, e.g., position sensors and / or by keeping track of maneuver commands issued to the different actuators. Having a model 800 of the different joints of the construction equipment 100 and the geometry of the different movable members on the construction equipment, the control unit 105 can map actuator positions into a pose of the construction equipment, i.e., what position the tool carrier arm 110 is in, what angle the tool 120 has relative to, e.g., the horizontal plane. This allows the control unit 105 to determine an occupied volume indicating a volume occupied by stationary parts of the construction equipment 100 based on the positions of the actuators. The control unit 105 can then be configured to prevent the tool arm 110 and / or any tool 120 connected to the distal end of the tool arm 110 from entering into theoccupied volume where the tool arm 110 and / or any tool 120 connected to the distal end of the tool arm 110 may collide with the stationary parts of the construction equipment 100. This way the control unit 105 may prevent an operator from moving the tool so as to collide with, e.g., one of the outriggers or some other stationary part of the construction equipment. The different mechanisms discussed above in connection to Figure 3, i.e., restricting control inputs and / or operating a force feedback mechanism of the remote control device can be used with advantage to prevent the tool from colliding with a stationary part of the construction equipment 100, such as an outrigger 145. A warning signal can also be generated as a complement or an alternative to using the mechanisms discussed above in connection to Figure 3. The example safety related actions involving a reduction of hydraulic flow in the hydraulic system or actuation of the dump valve discussed above can also be used with advantage to mitigate the risk of the tool colliding with some stationary part of the construction equipment.

[0091] It is appreciated that at least two types of safety zones can be defined. A first type of safety zone can be defined relative to, e.g., the tool 120 or relative to some other movable member on the equipment 100. This safety zone then moves together with the tool or other movable member, similar to a safety bubble which always encloses the tool. An object in vicinity of the construction equipment 100 may breach the safety zone as a result of movement by the object and / or as a result of movement by one or more movable members on the construction equipment 100. This first type of safety zone will be referred to below as an equipment centric safety zone. A second type of safety zone can be defined relative to an object in vicinity of the construction equipment 100. This type of safety zone is instead centered on the object and moves together with the object, unless the object is stationary in which case the safety zone is also stationary. The second type of safety zone will be referred to herein as an object centric safety zone. An object centric safety zone may be constructed as a bounding region of the object used to define the safety zone, such as a bounding box or bounding sphere of the object, optionally with an added margin or scaling factor to enlarge the bounding region compared to theminimum bounding region of the object. A movable member on the construction equipment 100 may breach an object centric safety zone as a result of movement by the construction equipment and / or as a result of movement by the object used to define the object centric safety zone.

[0092] According to the example in Figure 4, an operator 180 constitutes an object 520 detected by the environment sensor 170 in vicinity of the construction equipment 100. An object centric safety zone 530 has been defined as a bounding box to the operator 180. The control unit 105, having regard to the pose of the construction equipment 100 as discussed above, i.e., the state of the tower 130 and the tool carrier arm 120, may trigger a safety-related automated action comprising reducing movement speed or halting movable members of the construction equipment 100 in case any part of the construction equipment 100, especially the tool 120, breaches the object centric safety zone 530.

[0093] Another object centric safety zone 490 has been defined in relation to another object at the work site which is deemed vulnerable. The control unit 105 may be configured to trigger a safety-related action in case a movable member on the equipment 100 comes too close to this object.

[0094] An equipment centric safety zone may be defined as a bounding region of the tool 120, such as a bounding sphere centered on the tool 120 with some margin radius, or a bounding box centered on the tool 120 with some predetermined margin added to its sides.

[0095] Both the equipment centric safety zones and the object centric safety zones may be defined as a two-dimensional area in a plane, or as a three-dimensional volume in space. An object or a tool may be associated with one or more safety zones of different sizes. Each safety zone may then be associated with a respective safety-related automated action. For instance, a tool may be associated with a first equipment centric safety zone and a second equipment centric safety zone larger than the first equipment centric safety zone. The control unit 105 may then be configured to reduce movement speed of the tool if an object breaches the second safety zone and halt movement ofthe tool in case an object breaches the first smaller safety zone. This way the safety system can also be used in more confined spaces, which is an advantage.

[0096] According to some aspects, the control unit 105 is arranged obtain data indicative of a type of tool 120 connected to the distal end of the tool arm 110, i.e., if the tool carrier arm supports a breaker or a bucket as illustrated in Figure 5. The control unit 105 can then determine a three-dimensional safety zone around the tool 120, where the size of the safety zone around the tool 120 is determined by the control unit 105 in dependence of the type of tool 120 connected to the distal end of the tool arm 110. It may for instance be suitable to use a larger safety zone around a breaker or a saw compared to a bucket which is a passive less dangerous tool in most circumstances. Note also that the bucket in Figure 5 does not have the same reach as the breaker, as shown in Figure 5 by the difference 580. This difference can be used to adjust the safety zone around the construction equipment 100.

[0097] The size of a safety zone defined around the tool 120 can also be made configurable over a predetermined range, e.g., by an owner of the equipment 100 or by an authorized operator. This allows an authorized person to set the size of the safety zones in order to adjust safety margins of the overall system. A rental agency may for instance wish to configure larger safety margins compared to what is used on a machine that is operated by an experienced operator. A larger safety zone can also be used at some work sites, while smaller safety zones can be used at other work sites, depending on work site specific factors such as visibility at the work site and if there are other safety systems in place to complement the safety system of the construction equipment system.

[0098] The size of the safety zone may be adjusted based, e.g., on a scaling factor which scales a bounding region such as a bounding box of the tool.

[0099] To summarize, with reference Figure 5, persons detected by the environment sensor 170 can be marked with an angle a, e and a distance I relative to the rotation center of the machine. One or more safety zones can be defined, e.g.,in dependence of the type of tool attached to the distal end of the tool arm 110. The configuration of the safety zone can also depend on other factors, such as what motion or maneuver that is being performed and factors such as if the machine is working in a slope, and what machine model is in use. If the person or some other vulnerable object enters within a safety zone then one or more respective safety-related automated actions can be triggered by the control unit 105. Movement can for instance be slowed down or completely stopped. The tool can also be deactivated.

[0100] The configured size and shape of the object centric and or equipment centric safety zones configured by the control unit 105 can depend on, e.g.,

[0101] - Type of motion (cylinder motion of arm, rotation, transport on tracks)

[0102] - Direction of motion (Away or towards a vulnerable object such as a person) - Speed of motion (how fast the actuator moves)

[0103] - Stop time of motion (if the maneuver can be quickly halted or if there is significant inertia associated with the maneuver)

[0104] - Slope angle of machine (which will affect stop time of rotation and potentially also tipping stability)

[0105] - Machine model (which has an impact on, e.g., the parameters of the computer implemented pose model discussed above in connection to Figure 8)

[0106] - Selected tool type

[0107] - Arm position (working on a ceiling or floor can have an effect on when to turn off the tool).

[0108] A safety zone can be divided into sub-zones, as discussed above. Two different equipment centric safety zones can for instance be used together with a given tool. If a person is detected within a larger safety zone centered on the tool, then a maximum speed of say 50% of nominal maximum speed can be set. If a person is detected within the smaller safety zone, i.e., closer to thetool, the machine can be stopped. This can be divided into several different areas to get higher resolution and smoother transitions in speed.

[0109] According to some aspects, If speed is lowered or stopped as part of a safety-related automated action, then the joystick needs to be centered again in order to initiate a motion with higher speed once person is out of the safety zone. By changing the safety zone size depending on the above-listed factors the safety area can be kept smaller than always using worst case, which will increase usability of machine in confined spaces.

[0110] To summarize, according to some aspects, the control unit is configured to trigger different safety-related automated actions in dependence of where an object is detected in relation to the construction equipment, i.e., if the object is closer to a dangerous part on the construction equipment or further away from the dangerous part on the construction equipment but still close enough to merit triggering of a safety- related automated action. The control unit may also be configured to trigger different safety-related automated actions in dependence of a type of tool currently mounted on the tool arm and / or in dependence of a current maneuver being performed by the construction equipment 100.

[0111] According to some aspects, the construction equipment 100 comprises an authentication function associated with a safety system override function. In this case the control unit 105 can be configured to desist triggering of the safety-related automated action in case of authorized engagement of the safety system override function. This allows an authorized operator to override the safety systems disclosed herein in order to perform more advanced tasks that require breaching of one or more safety zones or the like. The authentication function can also be used to unlock the control unit in order to allow reconfiguration of one or more safety zone related parameters.

[0112] Figure 5 also illustrates a work object 510, in this case a section of wall to be demolished by the breaker 120 attached to the distal end of the tool carrier arm 110. It would be inconvenient if the control unit 105 triggers a safety-related automated action such as halting the tool 120 every time the tool cametoo close to the work object 510, since this would make the work task of demolishing the work object 510 difficult. Thus, according to a preferred embodiment, the control unit 105 is configured to identify one or more objects in vicinity of the construction equipment as work objects, and to allow the work object 510 to breach the equipment centric safety zone, in order to allow the tool 120 to engage the work object. Alternatively, the control unit may refrain from defining object centric safety zones around the work object 510, thus allowing the tool to engage the work object.

[0113] In other words, the control unit 105 is optionally configured to identify a work object 510 to be engaged by a tool 120 supported on a distal end of the tool arm 110 among the objects in vicinity of the construction equipment 100. The control unit 105 can then be configured to trigger the safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment 100 which is different from the work object 510 and not trigger any safety-related action when, e.g., the tool comes close to the work object. Construction equipment 100 comprising a control unit 105 with this configuration will allow the tool 120 to engage the work object 510 but will trigger a safety related safety-related automated action if the tool 120 comes too close to, e.g., the operator 180 or some other object 490 which is not identified as a work object 510 to be engaged by the tool 120. The classification of objects into work objects and other objects can be automatic using methods known in the art, or manual. The operator can, for instance, use the display 330 on the remote control device to indicate on an image which detected objects that are work objects that are allowed to be engaged by the tool 120. According to an example, the control unit can “freeze” a scene which does not comprise any vulnerable objects such as persons or other objects not to be engaged by the tool 120 in response to a command from the operator. The control unit 105 can then monitor the environment in vicinity of the construction equipment for any new objects that were not part of the scene when frozen. Any new objects which enter the scene can be considered a potentially vulnerable object by the control unit 105. This way a relatively robust methodfor identifying vulnerable objects is provided which of reasonable computational complexity.

[0114] According to a preferred embodiment, the control unit 105 is configured to identify a vulnerable object 520 such as a person among the objects in vicinity of the construction equipment 100. The control unit 105 can then be configured to prevent the tool arm 110 and / or any tool 120 connected to the distal end of the tool arm 110 from entering into a three-dimensional protected zone defined by a bounding volume 530 of the vulnerable object 520. Methods for detecting objects in vicinity of a camera, lidar, or radar device, and classifying these objects into, e.g., persons and other objects, are known in the art and will therefore not be discussed in more detail herein.

[0115] According to one example, the control unit 105 is arranged to obtain the data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment 100 as environment scene data for a past time instant and for a current time instant, where the control unit 105 is configured to identify an object in vicinity of the construction equipment 100 in case of a discrepancy between the past time instant data and the current time instant data. This way the control unit 105 can discover new objects which has entered the work site. Most likely these new objects are vulnerable objects not to be engaged by the tool, such as persons and equipment at the work site. Scene change detection methods are known in the art and will therefore not be discussed in more detail herein.

[0116] In connection to triggering a safety-related automated action, an automatic engagement of an actuator lock function of the construction equipment 100 can also be activated by the control unit 105. The control unit 105 can be configured to prevent disengagement of the lock function unless the remote control device 190 is in a predetermined passive state. It may for instance be required that the joysticks 310, 320 shown in Figure 3 are at their respective center positions before the construction equipment 100 is allowed to revert back to normal operation after activation of a safety-related automated action. A message informing the operator 180 of the active actuator lock function can be displayed on the display 330 of the remote control device 190.With reference to Figure 6, the environment sensor module 170 may comprise a radar sensor and / or a lidar sensor arranged to emit a signal 610 in a plane 175 and to receive backscatter from the environment surrounding the construction equipment 100. The signal emitted in the plane 175 may be reflected by one or more reflective objects 630, as will be discussed in more detail below. The environment sensor module 170 is arranged to detect objects in the surrounding environment and transmit data indicative of the detected objects to the control unit 105 onboard the construction equipment 100 and / or to the remote control device control unit 300. The radar sensor and / or lidar sensor comprised in the environment sensor module 170 may also be arranged to emit the signal 610 in a three-dimensional volume, i.e., such that the emitted signal 610 covers a spherical polygon of a sphere centered at the environment sensor module 170. The signal may for instance be emitted in an azimuth range covering up to 360 degrees, and an azimuth range of, say + / -20 degrees or so.

[0117] A rotating signal 610 may be formed as a single beam or as a signal emitted over a viewing angle range. The signal 610 shown in Figure 6 is emitted from a sensor device 600 and rotates counter-clockwise when seen from the top as in Figure 6. However, any manner of angle control can be used. The rotation of the emitted signal 610 is illustrated by the dash-dotted line in Figure 6. A signal which has been blocked by a reflective object 630 is shown as a dashed line extending at the blocked viewing angle span 620.

[0118] An angle of the plane 175 relative to the horizontal plane in use may be smaller than 20 degrees, and preferably smaller than 10 degrees, and more preferably smaller than 5 degrees. In most examples the plane 175 is an at least approximately horizontally aligned plane. The radar sensor and / or lidar sensor comprised in the environment sensor module 170 scans the environment surrounding the construction equipment 100 in order to determine what the layout of the environment in which the equipment is operating and to detect objects in vicinity of the construction equipment 100, such as obstacles and persons. The layout of the environment may be compared to an existing map of the environment in order to position the equipment 100 in the environment.The sensor data may also be used to map the environment using so-called simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) techniques. Techniques for positioning a device using map data, as well as mapping and localization using radar scans and / or lidar scans of an environment are well-known in the art and will therefore not be discussed in more detail herein.

[0119] Sensors which emit electromagnetic radar signals or light in a plane 175 are relatively common in the art. An example are scanning lidars which use mechanical arrangements or solid state circuits to scan an environment by a rotating beam of light. However, construction equipment such remote controlled demolition robots may also have need of scanning the ground surface 101 in vicinity of the equipment 100 in order to, e.g., detect low height obstacles and holes in the surface 101. The downwards scanning sensor can also detect ledges, which allows the control unit 105 to keep the construction equipment 100 from falling off an elevated surface 101 during movement on the ground surface 101.

[0120] To allow scanning of the environment and at the same time provide information regarding the surface in vicinity of the equipment 100, the environment sensor module 170 may comprise one or more reflective objects 630 intersected by the plane 175, as exemplified in Figure 6. The reflective objects 630 are angled at a reflection angle r relative to a normal 631 of the plane 175. The angle r may be on the order of 20-65 degrees or so, depending on the desired angle of reflection, which means that a radar signal or a beam of light from the sensor device in the environment sensor module 170 will strike the reflective object and be diverted towards the ground surface. Consequently, certain viewing angle spans 620 will be associated with sensing 640 of the ground surface 101. The sensor will then see the surrounding environment in the plane 175 in certain viewing angles and the surface in some other viewing angles. The reflective objects may be arranged at fixed angles relative to the sensor device in the environment sensor module 170, allowing the control unit 105 to determine which data points that correspond to the surrounding environment in the plane 175 and which data points that correspond to measurements of the ground surface 101 in vicinity of the construction equipment 100.One or more of the reflective objects 630 may also be convex or concave mirrors, in order to shape the illuminated region on the surface 101. The reflective objects 630 may be designed so as to illuminate an elliptical region close to the construction equipment 100, or a circular segment. The environment sensor module 170 can then be used to detect obstacles, holes in the surface, and ledges of the surface more easily.

[0121] With reference also to Figure 1, it is appreciated that, according to some aspects, the environment sensor 170 comprises at least one mirror arranged to deflect light 171 from the sensor towards the ground surface 101.

[0122] Figures 7A-C illustrate some details of an example environment sensor 170 arranged at the distal end of an example support arm 165. Figure 7A shows a side view, Figure 7B shows a top view, and Figure 7C shows a front view of the example environment sensor.

[0123] According to the example in Figures 7A-C, four reflective objects 630 are arranged around the sensor device 600. Thus, the surface 101 in immediate vicinity of the equipment 100 is illuminated at four locations. The control unit 105 and / or the sensor device 600 may determine which viewing angles that are reflected by the reflective objects 630 based on the detected distance to the ground surface or based on the angle of emission.

[0124] A protective plate 720 is arranged underneath the environment sensor module 170. This protective plate covers the sensor device and therefore protects it during use of the equipment 100.

[0125] Note that the electrical interface 160 extends out from the housing that supports the environment sensor 170 in Figures 7A-C.

[0126] The housing comprises an angle adjustment mechanism 730 which renders the environment sensor adjustable about a pivot axle 732. The housing can be secured by means of the bolt and cam slot arrangement 731.

[0127] The distal end of the support arm 165 may also comprise a light emitting device (LED) 700, i.e., a device such as an RGB diode arranged to emit light, e.g., as a warning signal or as a notification signal. A continuous of flashing light mayalso be emitted when the control unit 105 has triggered an automated safety related action, such as slowing down a movable member due to a potentially dangerous situation involving the movable member coming too close to, e.g., the operator 180 or some object in vicinity of the construction equipment which is not a work object that the machine is meant to engage.

[0128] An antenna arrangement 710 for wireless communication to and from one or more external wireless transceivers may also be arranged on the distal end of the support arm 165. This antenna arrangement 710 is well positioned for communication, as illustrated in, e.g., Figure 7A. The antenna arrangement may be a multi-band antenna arrangement which support, e.g., Bluetooth communications, Wi-Fi communications, as well as cellular communications using, e.g., 4G, 5G and 6G standards from the third generation partnership program (3GPP).

[0129] The LED 700 and / or the antenna arrangement 710 may of course also be placed elsewhere on the tower 130 or on the chassis 140.

[0130] Figure 9 is a flow chart illustrating a computer-implemented method for triggering a safety-related automated action by remote controlled construction equipment 100. The equipment 100 comprises a control unit 105 configured to receive control commands from a remote control device 190, a chassis 140 with caterpillar tracks 150 arranged to support the equipment 100 on a ground surface 101, a tower 130 rotatably supported on the chassis 140 to rotate about an axis of rotation R, and a tool arm 110 supported on the tower 130. The method comprising

[0131] configuring S1 at least one environment sensor device 170 on the tower 130 to rotate with the tower 130 about the axis of rotation R,

[0132] receiving S2 data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment 100 from the environment sensor 170, and

[0133] triggering S3 a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment 100, where the triggering is at least partly based on a current rotation angle of the tower 130 about the axis of rotation R.Figure 10 schematically illustrates, in terms of a number of functional units, the general components of a control unit 1000. This control unit can be used to implement, e.g., parts of the control unit 105 onboard the construction equipment 100 or the remote control device control unit 300. Processing circuitry 1010 is provided using any combination of one or more of a suitable central processing unit CPU, multiprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor DSP, etc., capable of executing software instructions stored in a computer program product, e.g. in the form of a storage medium 1030. The processing circuitry 1010 may further be provided as at least one application specific integrated circuit ASIC, or field programmable gate array FPGA. Particularly, the processing circuitry 1010 is configured to cause the device 1000 to perform a set of operations, or steps, such as the methods discussed in connection to Figure 4 and the discussions above. For example, the storage medium 1030 may store the set of operations, and the processing circuitry 1010 may be configured to retrieve the set of operations from the storage medium 1030 to cause the device to perform the set of operations. The set of operations may be provided as a set of executable instructions. Thus, the processing circuitry 1010 is thereby arranged to execute methods as herein disclosed.

[0134] The storage medium 1030 may also comprise persistent storage, which, for example, can be any single one or combination of magnetic memory, optical memory, solid state memory or even remotely mounted memory.

[0135] The device 105, 300, 1000 may further comprise an interface 1020 for communications with at least one external device. As such the interface 1020 may comprise one or more transmitters and receivers, comprising analogue and digital components and a suitable number of ports for wireline or wireless communication.

[0136] The processing circuitry 1010 controls the general operation of the control unit 1000, e.g., by sending data and control signals to the interface 1020 and the storage medium 1030, by receiving data and reports from the interface 1020, and by retrieving data and instructions from the storage medium 1030.Figure 11 illustrates a computer readable medium 1110 carrying a computer program comprising program code means 1120 for performing the methods illustrated in Figure 8, when said program product is run on a computer. The computer readable medium and the code means may together form a computer program product 1100.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A remote controlled demolition robot (100) comprising a control unit (105) configured to control one or more actuators of the robot (100) based on control commands received from a remote control device (190) and / or from an autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the demolition robot (100), a chassis (140) with caterpillar tracks (150) arranged to support the robot (100) on a ground surface (101), a tower (130) rotatably supported on the chassis (140) to rotate about an axis of rotation (R), and a tool arm (110) supported on the tower (130),where at least one environment sensor device (170) is mounted on the tower (130) to rotate with the tower (130) about the axis of rotation (R),where the control unit (105) is configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the demolition robot (100) from the environment sensor (170), and to trigger a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the demolition robot (100),characterized in thatthe control unit (105) is configured to trigger different safety-related automated actions in dependence of where an object is detected in relation to the demolition robot (100).

2. The demolition robot (100) according to claim 1 , where the safety-related automated action comprises a reduction in motion speed or halting of at least one actuator of the demolition robot (100).

3. The demolition robot (100) according to claim 1 or 2, where the safety-related automated action comprises rejection of a control command from the remote control device (190) of the demolition robot (100) ora control command from the autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the demolition robot (100).

4. The demolition robot (100) according to any previous claim, where the control unit (105) is configured to trigger different safety-related automatedactions in dependence of a type of tool (120) currently mounted on the tool arm (120).

5. The demolition robot (100) according to any previous claim, comprising an electrical power cable interface (160) for connecting the robot (100) to electrical mains, where the electrical power cable interface (160) comprises a support arm (165) extending out from the tower (130), where the environment sensor device (170) is mounted on the support arm (165).

6. The demolition robot (100) according to any previous claim, where the environment sensor (170) comprises any of a vision-based sensor, a lidar sensor, a radar sensor, and / or an ultrasound sensor.

7. The demolition robot (100) according to any previous claim, where the environment sensor (170) comprises a lidar sensor arranged to detect objects in a horizontal plane (175) intersecting the environment sensor (170).

8. The demolition robot (100) according to claim 7, where the environment sensor (170) comprises at least one mirror arranged to deflect light (171) from the sensor towards the ground surface (101).

9. The demolition robot (100) according to any previous claim, where the control unit (105) is configured to identify a work object (510) to be engaged by a tool (120) supported on a distal end of the tool arm (110) among the objects in vicinity of the demolition robot (100), where the control unit (105) is configured to trigger the safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the demolition robot (100) which is different from the work object (510).

10. The demolition robot (100) according to any previous claim, where the control unit (105) is configured to identify a vulnerable object (520) among the objects in vicinity of the demolition robot (100), where the control unit (105) is configured to prevent the tool arm (110) and / or any tool (120) connected to the distal end of the tool arm (110) from entering into a three-dimensional protected zone defined by a bounding volume (530) of the vulnerable object (520).

11. The demolition robot (100) according to any previous claim, where the control unit (105) is configured to monitor positions of actuators on the demolition robot (100), and to determine an occupied volume indicating a volume occupied by stationary parts of the demolition robot (100) based on the positions of the actuators, where the control unit (105) is configured to prevent the tool arm (110) and / or any tool (120) connected to the distal end of the tool arm (110) from entering into the occupied volume.

12. The demolition robot (100) according to any previous claim, where the control unit (105) is arranged obtain data indicative of a type of tool (120) connected to the distal end of the tool arm (110), and to determine a three-dimensional safety zone around the tool (120), where the size of the safety zone around the tool (120) is determined by the control unit (105) in dependence of the type of tool (120) connected to the distal end of the tool arm (110).

13. The demolition robot (100) according to claim 12, where the control unit (105) is configured to reduce motion speed of the tool (120) or halt the tool (120) in case an object in vicinity of the demolition robot (100) breaches the safety zone around the tool (120).

14. The demolition robot (100) according to claim 12 or 13, where the size of the safety zone around the tool (120) is configurable over a predetermined range.

15. The demolition robot (100) according to any previous claim, where the safety-related automated action comprises automatic engagement of an actuator lock function of the demolition robot (100), where the control unit (105) is configured to prevent disengagement of the lock function unless a remote control device (190) of the demolition robot (100) is in a predetermined passive state.

16. The demolition robot (100) according to any previous claim, where a remote control device (190) of the demolition robot (100) comprises at least one joystick (310, 320), where the at least one joystick comprises a force feedback arrangement configured to apply a variable force in a feedbackdirection, where the variable feedback force and / or the feedback direction is determined in dependence of a position of a tool (120) connected to the distal end of the tool arm (110) in relation to an identified object in vicinity of the demolition robot (100).

17. The demolition robot (100) according to claim 16, where the magnitude of the feedback force increases with a decreasing distance between the tool (120) and the identified object.

18. The demolition robot (100) according to claim 16 or 17, where the feedback direction corresponds to a motion direction of the tool (120) away from the identified object.

19. The demolition robot (100) according to any previous claim, where the control unit (105) is configured to determine a three-dimensional stability zone indicative of a stable operating position range of a tool (120) connected to the distal end of the tool arm (110), where the control unit (105) is configured to prevent movement of the tool (120) outside of the stability zone, where the three-dimensional stability zone is determined in dependence of a weight of the tool (120).

20. The demolition robot (100) according to claim 19, where the three-dimensional stability zone is determined in dependence of a state of one or more outriggers (145) of the demolition robot (100).

21. The demolition robot (100) according to any previous claim, the demolition robot (100) comprising an authentication function associated with a safety system override function, where the control unit (105) is configured to desist triggering of the safety-related automated action in case of authorized engagement of the safety system override function.

22. The demolition robot (100) according to any previous claim, where the control unit (105) is arranged to obtain the data related to objects in vicinity of the demolition robot (100) as environment scene data for a past time instant and for a current time instant, where the control unit (105) is configured to identify an object in vicinity of the demolition robot (100) in case of adiscrepancy between the past time instant data and the current time instant data.

23. A computer-implemented method for triggering a safety-related automated action by a remote-controlled demolition robot (100), the demolition robot (100) comprising a control unit (105) configured to control one or more actuators of the robot (100), a chassis (140) with caterpillar tracks (150) arranged to support the demolition robot (100) on a ground surface (101), a tower (130) rotatably supported on the chassis (140) to rotate about an axis of rotation (R), and a tool arm (110) supported on the tower (130),the method comprisingconfiguring (S1) at least one environment sensor device (170) on the tower (130) to rotate with the tower (130) about the axis of rotation (R), receiving (S2) data related to objects in vicinity of the demolition robot (100) from the environment sensor (170), andtriggering (S3) a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the demolition robot (100), where the triggering is at least partly based on a current rotation angle of the tower 130 about the axis of rotation R, where different safety-related automated actions are triggered in dependence of where an object is detected in relation to the demolition robot (100).

24. Construction equipment (100) comprising a control unit (105) configured to control one or more actuators of the equipment (100) based on control commands received from a remote control device (190) and / or from an autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the construction equipment (100), a chassis (140) with caterpillar tracks (150) arranged to support the equipment (100) on a ground surface (101), a tower (130) rotatably supported on the chassis (140) to rotate about an axis of rotation (R), and a tool arm (110) supported on the tower (130),where at least one environment sensor device (170) is mounted on the tower (130) to rotate with the tower (130) about the axis of rotation (R),where the control unit (105) is configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment (100) from the environment sensor (170), and to trigger a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment (100).

25. Construction equipment (100) comprising a control unit (105) configured to receive control commands from a remote control device (190) and / or from an autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the construction equipment (100), a chassis (140) with caterpillar tracks (150) arranged to support the equipment (100) on a ground surface (101), a tower (130) rotatably supported on the chassis (140) to rotate about an axis of rotation (R), a tool arm (110) supported on the tower (130), and at least one environment sensor device (170),where the control unit (105) is configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment (100) from the environment sensor (170), and to trigger a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment (100),where the control unit (105) is configured to trigger different safety-related automated actions in dependence of where an object is detected in relation to the construction equipment (100).

26. Construction equipment (100) comprising a control unit (105) configured to receive control commands from a remote control device (190) and / or from an autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the construction equipment (100), a chassis (140) with caterpillar tracks (150) arranged to support the equipment (100) on a ground surface (101), a tower (130) rotatably supported on the chassis (140) to rotate about an axis of rotation (R), a tool arm (110) supported on the tower (130), and at least one environment sensor device (170),where the control unit (105) is configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment (100) from the environment sensor (170), and to trigger a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment (100),where the control unit (105) is configured to identify a work object (510) to be engaged by a tool (120) supported on a distal end of the tool arm (110) among the objects in vicinity of the construction equipment (100), where the control unit (105) is configured to trigger the safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment (100) which is different from the work object (510).

27. Construction equipment (100) comprising a control unit (105) configured to receive control commands from a remote control device (190) and / or from an autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the construction equipment (100), a chassis (140) with caterpillar tracks (150) arranged to support the equipment (100) on a ground surface (101), a tower (130) rotatably supported on the chassis (140) to rotate about an axis of rotation (R), a tool arm (110) supported on the tower (130), and at least one environment sensor device (170),where the control unit (105) is configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment (100) from the environment sensor (170), and to trigger a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment (100),where the control unit (105) is configured to identify a vulnerable object (520) among the objects in vicinity of the construction equipment (100), where the control unit (105) is configured to prevent the tool arm (110) and / or any tool (120) connected to the distal end of the tool arm (110) from entering into a three-dimensional protected zone defined by a bounding volume (530) of the vulnerable object (520).

28. Construction equipment (100) comprising a control unit (105) configured to receive control commands from a remote control device (190) and / or from an autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the construction equipment (100), a chassis (140) with caterpillar tracks (150) arranged to support the equipment (100) on a ground surface (101), a tower (130) rotatably supported on the chassis (140) to rotate about an axis of rotation (R), a tool arm (110)supported on the tower (130), and at least one environment sensor device (170),where the control unit (105) is configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment (100) from the environment sensor (170), and to trigger a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment (100),where the control unit (105) is configured to monitor positions of actuators on the construction equipment (100), and to determine an occupied volume indicating a volume occupied by stationary parts of the construction equipment (100) based on the positions of the actuators, where the control unit (105) is configured to prevent the tool arm (110) and / or any tool (120) connected to the distal end of the tool arm (110) from entering into the occupied volume.

29. Construction equipment (100) comprising a control unit (105) configured to receive control commands from a remote control device (190) and / or from an autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the construction equipment (100), a chassis (140) with caterpillar tracks (150) arranged to support the equipment (100) on a ground surface (101), a tower (130) rotatably supported on the chassis (140) to rotate about an axis of rotation (R), a tool arm (110) supported on the tower (130), and at least one environment sensor device (170),where the control unit (105) is configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment (100) from the environment sensor (170), and to trigger a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment (100),where the control unit (105) is arranged obtain data indicative of a type of tool (120) connected to the distal end of the tool arm (110), and to determine a three-dimensional safety zone around the tool (120), where the size of the safety zone around the tool (120) is determined by the control unit (105) in dependence of the type of tool (120) connected to the distal end of the tool arm (110).

30. Remote controlled construction equipment (100) comprising a control unit (105) configured to receive control commands from a remote control device (190), a chassis (140) with caterpillar tracks (150) arranged to support the equipment (100) on a ground surface (101), a tower (130) rotatably supported on the chassis (140) to rotate about an axis of rotation (R), a tool arm (110) supported on the tower (130), and at least one environment sensor device (170),where the control unit (105) is configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment (100) from the environment sensor (170), and to trigger a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment (100),where the safety-related automated action comprises automatic engagement of an actuator lock function of the construction equipment (100), where the control unit (105) is configured to prevent disengagement of the lock function unless the remote control device (190) is in a predetermined passive state.

31. Remote controlled construction equipment (100) comprising a control unit (105) configured to receive control commands from a remote control device (190), a chassis (140) with caterpillar tracks (150) arranged to support the equipment (100) on a ground surface (101), a tower (130) rotatably supported on the chassis (140) to rotate about an axis of rotation (R), a tool arm (110) supported on the tower (130), and at least one environment sensor device (170),where the control unit (105) is configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment (100) from the environment sensor (170), and to trigger a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment (100),where the remote control device (190) comprises at least one joystick (310, 320), where the at least one joystick comprises a force feedback arrangement configured to apply a variable force in a feedback direction, where the variable feedback force and / or the feedback direction is determined in dependence ofa position of a tool (120) connected to the distal end of the tool arm (110) in relation to an identified object in vicinity of the construction equipment (100).

32. Construction equipment (100) comprising a control unit (105) configured to receive control commands from a remote control device (190) and / or from an autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the construction equipment (100), a chassis (140) with caterpillar tracks (150) arranged to support the equipment (100) on a ground surface (101), a tower (130) rotatably supported on the chassis (140) to rotate about an axis of rotation (R), and a tool arm (110) supported on the tower (130),where the control unit (105) is configured to determine a three-dimensional stability zone indicative of a stable operating position range of a tool (120) connected to the distal end of the tool arm (110), where the control unit (105) is configured to prevent movement of the tool (120) outside of the stability zone, where the three-dimensional stability zone is determined in dependence of a weight of the tool (120).

33. Construction equipment (100) comprising a control unit (105) configured to receive control commands from a remote control device (190) and / or from an autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the construction equipment (100), a chassis (140) with caterpillar tracks (150) arranged to support the equipment (100) on a ground surface (101), a tower (130) rotatably supported on the chassis (140) to rotate about an axis of rotation (R), a tool arm (110) supported on the tower (130), and at least one environment sensor device (170),where the control unit (105) is configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment (100) from the environment sensor (170), and to trigger a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment (100),the construction equipment (100) comprising an authentication function associated with a safety system override function, where the control unit (105) is configured to desist triggering of the safety-related automated action in case of authorized engagement of the safety system override function.

34. Construction equipment (100) comprising a control unit (105) configured to receive control commands from a remote control device (190) and / or from an autonomous or semi-autonomous controller of the construction equipment (100), a chassis (140) with caterpillar tracks (150) arranged to support the equipment (100) on a ground surface (101), a tower (130) rotatably supported on the chassis (140) to rotate about an axis of rotation (R), a tool arm (110) supported on the tower (130), and at least one environment sensor device (170),where the control unit (105) is configured to receive data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment (100) from the environment sensor (170), and to trigger a safety-related automated action in response to detecting an object in vicinity of the construction equipment (100),where the control unit (105) is arranged to obtain the data related to objects in vicinity of the construction equipment (100) as environment scene data for a past time instant and for a current time instant, where the control unit (105) is configured to identify an object in vicinity of the construction equipment (100) in case of a discrepancy between the past time instant data and the current time instant data.

Images