Hydraulic Excavator Remote Start/Stop With Posture Checks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing remote operation systems for work machines like hydraulic excavators cannot effectively check the surroundings and state of the machine before activation or shutdown, leading to potential inefficiencies and unnecessary operations due to improper activation or shutdown conditions.

Innovation Solution

A remote-operation-type work machine system equipped with a surroundings detector and posture sensor that assesses the machine's surroundings and state before allowing activation or shutdown, using a system controller to determine if the prime mover should be started or stopped based on detected information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If remote control activation/shutdown is implemented without checking surroundings and machine state, then remote operation capability is achieved, but work efficiency deteriorates due to unnecessary operations and activation in unsuitable conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveremote operation capabilityVSAvoidwork efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of surroundings information and machine state information before executing remote activation or shutdown operations. The controller checks whether the machine is in an allowable state (e.g., proper posture, safe surroundings) before permitting activation, and verifies suitable shutdown conditions before executing shutdown, thereby preventing unnecessary operations and improving work efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If remote control activation/shutdown is implemented without checking surroundings and machine state, then operational safety is improved by avoiding worker exposure to dangerous places, but operation reliability deteriorates due to activation in unsuitable conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveworker safety from harmful gas and disaster placesVSAvoidoperation reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors and detects surroundings information (e.g., presence of harmful gases, obstacles) and machine state information (e.g., posture, position) and provides feedback to the controller. The controller uses this feedback to determine whether activation or shutdown should be permitted, ensuring both worker safety and operational reliability by preventing operations in unsuitable conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If activation is permitted without checking machine posture and surroundings, then ease of remote activation is improved, but time loss increases due to machine inability to move after activation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of remote activationVSAvoidtime from activation to start of work
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of machine posture and surroundings information before activation. The controller checks whether the machine is in an allowable state (e.g., proper posture, clear path) before permitting activation, ensuring that the machine can immediately begin work after activation without time loss due to inability to move

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4636173A1Remote operation-type work machine system and work machine
Publication Date: 2025.10.22 HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO LTD
  • EP4636173A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4636173A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4636173A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A remote-operation-type work machine system including a remotely operable hydraulic excavator and a remote operation device for remotely operating the hydraulic excavator has a remote operation signal processor as a system controller that executes action control for the hydraulic excavator based on a remote operation signal from the remote operation device. The system controller captures surroundings information sensed by a surroundings detector of the hydraulic excavator and posture information sensed by a posture sensor, and determines whether or not a prime mover is allowed to be started or stopped when the remote operation signal is a remote activation operation signal for activating the hydraulic excavator or a remote shutdown operation signal for shutting down the hydraulic excavator.