Slewing Excavator Overhead View Interference Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for slewing-type work machines, such as hydraulic excavators, face challenges in accurately representing the interference scope on overhead view images due to height differences between the machine and obstacles, leading to potential misunderstandings for operators regarding the extent of interference during swiveling actions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of multiple imaging devices capturing images at different downward inclinations, combined with a viewpoint conversion system to create a composite overhead view image, along with an interference scope indicating section that adjusts based on ground height, ensures precise visualization of interference zones on a display for operators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single camera is used to create overhead view image, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision of interference scope is insufficient due to height differences
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is segmented into multiple imaging devices positioned at different locations (front, rear, left, right sides of the slewing machine), each capturing images from different angles. This segmentation allows the system to obtain comprehensive spatial information about obstacles at various heights and positions, thereby improving measurement precision of the interference scope while distributing the complexity across multiple simple camera units rather than requiring a single complex imaging system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-viewpoint two-dimensional image to a multi-viewpoint three-dimensional spatial representation by combining images from multiple imaging devices positioned at different heights and angles. This dimensional enhancement allows accurate determination of obstacle positions relative to the slewing machine's rotation path, resolving the interference scope precisely even when obstacles are at different ground heights.
2Ease of operation
If camera optical axis is directed obliquely downward, then overhead view image can be created, but position coordinates become inaccurate when ground height differs
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary processing mechanism that converts images from multiple obliquely-directed cameras into a unified overhead view coordinate system. By using the multiple imaging devices positioned at different locations as intermediaries, the system can accurately transform and integrate the oblique images to determine precise relative positions of obstacles on the ground plane, eliminating the positioning errors that would result from single-camera oblique viewing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of the imaging system by using multiple cameras with different optical axes and positions rather than a single camera. By varying the viewing angles, heights, and positions of multiple imaging devices, the system can capture obstacles at different ground heights and accurately determine their positions through coordinate transformation, thereby maintaining measurement precision while preserving the ease of overhead view image creation.
3Device complexity
If interference scope is shown without considering ground height, then display simplicity is maintained, but operator understanding becomes inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing the rotation path coordinates of the slewing machine at different ground heights before actual operation. When obstacles are detected, the system can quickly retrieve and display the appropriate interference scope based on the obstacle's ground height without requiring complex real-time calculations, thus maintaining display simplicity while preserving accurate height-related position information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copied representation of the three-dimensional interference scope projected onto a two-dimensional display plane. By generating an overhead view image that incorporates height information through coordinate transformation, the system produces a simplified visual copy that maintains accurate relative positioning information while remaining easy to interpret for the operator.
Data Source
AI summary
A slewing-type hydraulic excavator has a plurality of cameras 13 for respectively imaging toward different directions. A view point converting section 21 performs coordinate image data conversion to create overhead view images to look down from an upper position. A composite overhead view image creating section 22 creates a composite overhead view image P arranged around a graphic image of the hydraulic excavator 1. An interference scope indicating section 25 indicates the scope of potential interference on the overhead view image with a surrounding obstacle at respective ground heights at the time of rotating the hydraulic excavator 1. A display image creating section 26 produces the composite overhead view image P together with interference scope which is displayed on a monitor.