Excavator Control Mapping With Selectable Response Curves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional excavator control systems lack adaptability to accommodate the preferences and abilities of specific operators and the needs of different modes of operation, resulting in limited customizability and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A control system that decouples operator input devices from hydraulic actuators, using electronic signals and response curves to customize actuator movements based on selectable control modes, allowing for customizable speed adjustments and control-function mappings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional excavator control systems use fixed response curves for operator input devices, then the control system is simple to implement, but the system lacks adaptability to accommodate different operator preferences and abilities
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically selects from multiple pre-programmed response curves based on detected operating conditions (auto-mode) or operator selection (manual-mode). Each response curve represents a different actuator response characteristic, allowing the system to adapt its behavior without requiring complex real-time calculations or machine learning algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter set (response curve) based on operating mode detection or operator input. Different response curves have different parameters that define the relationship between operator input device movement and actuator response characteristics, enabling adaptability through parameter selection rather than parameter optimization.
2Reliability
If the control system reduces maximum actuator speed for safety, then operator safety and precision are improved, but the productivity and operation speed are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts actuator speed limits based on the selected response curve and operating mode. Safety-critical operations use response curves with reduced maximum speeds, while non-critical operations can utilize response curves with higher speed capabilities, optimizing the safety-productivity tradeoff for each specific task.
Solution Approach 2:
Different response curves apply different speed limitations to different actuators or different phases of operation. The control system applies localized speed restrictions only where safety concerns exist, rather than uniformly reducing speed across all operations, thereby maintaining productivity in safe operating regions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple response curves are provided for different operating modes, then the system becomes highly customizable for various tasks, but the device complexity and difficulty of operation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system automatically detects the current operating mode (digging, grading, transporting, etc.) and selects the appropriate response curve without requiring operator intervention. This self-service approach eliminates the burden of manual mode selection while still providing task-optimized control characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
A single control device interface supports multiple operating modes and response curves, making the system universally applicable to various tasks. The same physical operator input devices work across all modes, with the control system automatically adapting the response characteristics rather than requiring separate controls for each function.
4Ease of operation
If the control system automatically detects operating mode and selects response curves, then operator ease of use is improved, but the measurement precision and reliability of mode detection are required
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors sensor data from the excavator (hydraulic pressure, actuator position, machine orientation) and uses this feedback to detect and confirm the current operating mode. The system only automatically selects a response curve when the detected mode is confident, otherwise defaulting to a safe default mode or prompting operator selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system introduces an intermediary detection layer that translates raw sensor data into meaningful operating mode classifications. This intermediary processing layer filters noise and resolves ambiguities before making mode determination, improving the reliability of automatic response curve selection.
Data Source
AI summary
A power machine can include operator input devices and a control system configured to command movement of actuators based on operator inputs received from the operator input devices. Movement of one or more of the actuators can be commanded based on input at one or more of the operator input devices and a response curve selected from a plurality of different response curves. Movement of one or more of the actuators can be based on a selected control mode for the power machine that corresponds to a selected control-function mapping of the operator input devices to the one or more actuators. A lift arm can be variously controlled to execute automatic or other operations. An excavator can be operated in a sustained-speed travel mode.