Excavator Surface-Follow Control for Precise Tool Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic excavators face challenges in achieving precise operation without significantly increasing costs, which is crucial for efficient and safe construction operations.
Innovation Solution
A mobile machine control system that includes a user interface mechanism, controllers, and control logic to implement surface follow modes, allowing operators to control excavator tools relative to a control surface through parallel, perpendicular, and rotational movements, using joysticks and pedals to generate control signals for controllable linkages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional hydraulic excavator control systems are used, then the basic excavation operations can be performed, but operational precision is insufficient for efficient and safe construction operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical joystick control with an automated control system that uses sensors to detect surface geometry and automatically adjusts excavator tool movements. The control system substitutes manual mechanical operations with automated electronic control, achieving precise operational control without requiring complex manual maneuvers.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system enables the excavator to autonomously follow the contour of the work surface by automatically detecting surface geometry through sensors and adjusting tool positions accordingly. The system serves itself by autonomously adapting to surface variations without requiring complex manual intervention, thereby improving precision while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If complex joystick maneuvers are used to achieve precise tool positioning, then operational precision can be improved, but operator workload and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex manual joystick maneuvers with an automated control system that uses sensors to detect surface geometry and automatically adjusts excavator tool movements. This substitution eliminates the need for operators to perform complex manual operations while maintaining precise tool positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system incorporates sensors that continuously monitor the position of the excavator tool relative to the work surface and provide feedback to the control algorithm. This feedback mechanism enables automatic adjustment of tool positioning, reducing operator workload while maintaining or improving positioning precision through closed-loop control.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile machine includes a tool coupled to the mobile machine by one or more controllable linkages. The machine includes a user interface mechanism configured to receive input from an operator. The machine includes one or more controllers configured to implement surface follow logic configured to receive the input from the user interface mechanism and identify a desired movement of the tool relative to a control surface, based on the input. The one or more controllers configured to implement control signal generator logic that generates a control signal to control the one or more controllable linkages, based on the identified movement.