Crane Camera Attitude Detection Without Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cranes, the precise position of a suspended load cannot be calculated when the camera inclines, and the use of an inclination angle detection sensor is expensive and not always necessary.
Innovation Solution
A camera attitude detection device calculates the attitude angle of the camera based on hook image position information on a screen and real-space hook position information, without requiring an inclination angle detection sensor, using a monitor, camera, and attitude angle calculation device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an inclination angle detection sensor is provided to detect camera inclination, then measurement precision of suspended load position is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical inclination angle detection sensor with an optical-based solution. The camera captures images of the suspending rope, and image processing algorithms calculate the rope's orientation and the camera's inclination angle without physical sensors. This substitutes mechanical sensing with optical field analysis, reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The suspending rope serves as an intermediary object to indirectly measure camera inclination. Instead of directly sensing camera orientation, the system uses the rope's visual appearance in the camera field of view as a reference. The rope's orientation in the image provides information about camera tilt, allowing inclination calculation without direct sensing.
2Measurement precision
If an inclination angle detection sensor is provided, then measurement precision of suspended load position is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses standard digital camera equipment and software-based image processing instead of expensive specialized inclination sensors. The camera is a common, relatively inexpensive component, and the processing algorithms run on standard computing hardware. This approach significantly reduces manufacturing cost compared to specialized sensor systems while achieving the required measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive mechanical inclination detection sensors with an optical-computational system using standard cameras and software algorithms. This substitution eliminates the need for specialized hardware, reducing component costs and simplifying manufacturing while maintaining measurement accuracy through software-based calculations.
3Productivity
If image processing is used to calculate rope position from color distribution, then productivity of suspended load detection is improved, but measurement precision may be affected by lighting conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent exploits the color characteristics of the suspending rope as a visual marker. By detecting the rope's color distribution across image scanning lines, the system can automatically identify rope position and orientation. This color-based approach enables rapid processing while maintaining precision, as color is a distinctive property that can be reliably detected through image analysis.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is provided a monitoring camera (32) at a tip of a boom, a monitor (70) configured to display a captured image of a hook suspended from the tip of the boom, an attitude angle calculation device (68) configured to calculate, based on hook image position information on a screen displayed on the monitor (70) and hook position information in a real space, an attitude angle of the camera, and the attitude angle calculation device (68) includes a hook position calculation unit (63) configured to calculate a hook position on the screen actually displayed on the monitor (70), a shift amount calculation unit (64) configured to calculate the distance between the hook position calculated by the hook position calculation unit (63) and a reference hook position of the hook on the screen displayed on the monitor (70) when it is assumed that the camera faces directly downward, and a camera inclination angle calculation unit (65) configured to calculate an inclination angle of the monitoring camera (32) based on the difference and a distance in a height direction from an optical axis center position of the monitoring camera (32) to the hook.