Gesture-Controlled Shovel Operation for External Workers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Shovels require manual operation from within the cabin, limiting their functionality and safety when needing to be controlled by workers outside the cabin.
Innovation Solution
Integration of an operating element, recognition part, and control part that allows the shovel to recognize gestures from workers outside the cabin, enabling autonomous operation of its hydraulic actuators based on predefined gestures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the shovel is operated manually from inside the cabin, then the operator can directly control the operating elements, but the worker cannot operate the shovel from outside the cabin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical control system with a gesture recognition system. The recognition part detects gestures made by the worker outside the cabin, and the control part translates these gestures into commands for the operating elements, eliminating the need for the operator to be physically inside the cabin.
Solution Approach 2:
The recognition part acts as an intermediary between the worker's gestures and the shovel's control system. It captures gesture information from the worker outside the cabin and transmits it to the control part, which then executes the corresponding operating element control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a gesture recognition system is added to enable remote operation, then the shovel can be operated by workers outside the cabin, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control part is designed to handle multiple functions: it receives control inputs from both the traditional operating elements inside the cabin and the new gesture recognition system. This multi-functionality allows the system to support both manual and remote operation modes without requiring entirely separate control systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the recognition part recognizes multiple gestures, then the operational versatility is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gesture recognition system divides the recognition process into distinct segments or categories. Each gesture type (e.g., hand movements, arm positions) is recognized and processed separately, allowing the control part to handle multiple gesture types systematically without overwhelming complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A shovel and the like that can be operated by a worker in a surrounding area or the like is provided. For this, a shovel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an operating element (for example, the lower traveling structure 1, the upper swing structure 3, the attachment AT or the like), the gesture recognition part 301 configured to recognize a worker in a surrounding area and a predetermined gesture made by the recognized worker, and the operation control part 302 configured to control the operation of an operating element in response to the predetermined gesture made by the worker recognized by the gesture recognition part 301.