Excavator Bucket Volume Measurement with Posture-Based 3D Contour Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies for calculating the volume of excavated objects in a bucket, such as those used in hydraulic excavators, suffer from inefficiencies that lead to decreased work efficiency and inaccuracies due to the need for the bucket to move to a predetermined position for measurement and the inability to account for changes in bucket posture.
Innovation Solution
A measurement device mounted on an arm member of a hydraulic excavator, comprising a distance detector, posture detector, and controllers to calculate the volume of an object in a container by capturing and processing distance and posture data, allowing for accurate volume calculation while maintaining work efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the bucket moves to a predetermined position for measurement, then the volume calculation can be performed, but the work efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts to changing bucket postures by detecting posture changes and rotating the container contour data to match the detected posture. This allows volume measurement to be performed at any bucket position without requiring the bucket to return to a predetermined position, thereby maintaining work efficiency while ensuring measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the orientation parameter of the container contour data based on detected posture changes. By rotating the contour data according to the actual bucket posture, the system maintains accurate volume calculations regardless of the bucket's position or orientation during operation.
2Device complexity
If the bucket posture is not considered in volume calculation, then the measurement process is simpler, but the volume calculation accuracy fails when postures differ
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex mechanical posture alignment requirements with an information processing approach. Instead of physically repositioning the bucket or sensor, the system uses posture detection data to computationally rotate and align the container contour data, achieving accurate measurements without mechanical intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The posture detection data serves as an intermediary that bridges the gap between the actual bucket posture and the reference contour data. By using this intermediary information to rotate and align the data, the system achieves accurate volume calculations without direct mechanical alignment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate volume calculation of objects in a bucket without reducing work efficiency, by using a measurement device that accounts for changes in bucket posture and container contours, ensuring precise measurement of excavated materials.
Implementation Method 1
a distance detector which is attached to the arm member and provides measurement data indicating a distance to a subject
Data Source
AI summary
A measurement device is configured to calculate, based on second measurement data provided by a distance detector, second contour data indicating a surface contour of an object contained in the container at a second time after a first time; calculate differential information indicating a difference between first posture data and second posture data which is posture data provided by a posture detector at the second time; rotate, based on the differential information, the second contour data in a three-dimensional coordinate space of the distance detector; and specify a region defined by the rotated second contour data and the first contour data, and calculate, based on the specified region, a volume of the object contained in the container at the second time.