Construction Machine Sensor Alignment for Ground Model Verification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated systems for construction machines face errors due to discrepancies between the actual ground surface and the digital model used for guidance, caused by erroneous surveys, surface modifications, debris accumulation, sensor misplacement, or malfunction, leading to inaccurate milling or paving operations.
Innovation Solution
A construction machine equipped with multiple distance sensors and a controller that compares the current relative orientation of these sensors to an expected orientation based on a digital model, confirming consistency with the initial survey data, and adjusts operations accordingly to account for changes or sensor malfunctions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated systems use digital models for guidance, then productivity and automation extent are improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to discrepancies between actual ground surface and digital model
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary verification by comparing sensor readings against the digital model before executing milling operations. This advance check identifies discrepancies between the actual ground surface and the digital model, allowing operators to correct errors before they affect measurement precision during automated milling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously comparing real-time sensor measurements of ground surface elevation with the corresponding values from the digital model. This feedback loop enables the system to detect and report discrepancies, maintaining measurement precision while operating under automated guidance.
2Reliability
If multiple sensors are deployed for verification, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple sensors to create redundant copies of ground surface measurements at different locations along the milling drum. By comparing these duplicate measurements against each other and against the digital model, the system verifies reading accuracy without requiring a completely new sensing approach, thus improving reliability while limiting complexity growth.
3Measurement precision
If sensor pairs are compared for consistency, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to additional verification steps
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs partial verification by selecting specific sensor pairs for comparison based on their relevance to the current milling operation. Rather than verifying all sensors continuously, the system focuses computational resources on critical sensor pairs, maintaining measurement precision while minimizing the time loss associated with verification.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~5
Figure 6~9
AI summary
A system is provided for determining the plausibility that a current ground surface on which a construction machine is located conforms to a prior survey of that ground surface. A controller 48 is provided with a digital model defined within a reference system external to the construction machine. The controller 48 determines a current relative orientation and an expected relative orientation, of at least one sensor pair 14RF, 14RR of a plurality of distance sensors, relative to each other and relative to a reference plane defined in the digital model. The controller 48 compares those orientations to confirm whether the current relative orientation conforms to the expected relative orientation.