Excavator Arm Range Control for Nearby Shovel Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Shovels often decelerate or stop their arm movement due to the possibility of collision with nearby shovels, leading to reduced operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A shovel equipped with a lower-part traveling body, an upper-part swing body, an object detecting device, and a control device that adjusts the movable range of the driven body based on detected objects, allowing for efficient operation while avoiding collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the shovel decelerates or stops arm movement to avoid collision with nearby shovels, then safety is improved, but operational efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The movable range of the driven body is dynamically adjusted based on the detected state of nearby objects. When objects are detected in potentially colliding positions, the movable range is restricted; when no objects are detected, the movable range is expanded. This dynamic adjustment allows the shovel to maintain high operational efficiency in safe conditions while ensuring collision avoidance when necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device changes the parameter of movable range based on detection results. By varying the movable range parameter according to the presence and position of detected objects, the system resolves the contradiction between maintaining operational efficiency and ensuring safety through adaptive parameter modification.
2Reliability
If the movable range is restricted to prevent collisions, then safety is improved, but the working space available deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The movable range is dynamically adjusted based on real-time detection of object positions. The restriction is applied only in directions and areas where detected objects are present, while other directions maintain full working space. This selective dynamic restriction prevents unnecessary loss of working space while ensuring collision prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable range restriction is applied locally only in the specific directions and areas where detected objects pose a collision risk, rather than uniformly restricting the entire working space. This localized approach maintains maximum working space in safe areas while providing collision prevention where needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A shovel includes a lower-part traveling body; an upper-part swing body rotatably provided above the lower-part traveling body; an object detecting device provided in the upper-part swing body; a controller as a control device provided in the upper-part swing body; and at least one driven body configured to be operated by an actuator. The object detecting device is configured to detect another shovel in a detection space set around the shovel. The controller is configured to vary a movable range being a range accessible to the driven body, based on a state of an object detected by the object detecting device.