UWB-Verified Optical Target Tracking for Construction Machine Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in reliably tracking and measuring cooperative targets for automatic control of construction site machinery due to potential obstructions and assigning the correct reference point, leading to inaccuracies in machine operation.
Innovation Solution
The system employs UWBST anchor-modules and tag-modules to confirm the correct cooperative target by matching optical and UWB distances and angles, ensuring accurate assignment of position information using UWB-distance and UWB-angle verification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If optical tracking of cooperative targets is used for automatic control, then measurement precision is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to obstructions and target assignment errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces UWB distance measurement as an intermediary verification mechanism. The UWB distance serves as a mediator to confirm the correctness of optical target assignments by comparing measured optical distances with UWB-measured distances. This intermediary system resolves the contradiction by providing an additional layer of verification that maintains measurement precision while improving reliability through cross-validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where UWB distance measurements are continuously compared with optical distance measurements. When discrepancies exceed a threshold, the system generates feedback signals to trigger re-measurement or correction procedures. This feedback loop ensures that measurement precision is maintained while reliability is improved through continuous verification and correction of potential errors.
2Productivity
If multiple cooperative targets are tracked simultaneously, then productivity is improved, but difficulty of detecting and measuring increases due to target identification and assignment complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The UWB distance measurement acts as an intermediary identifier that simplifies target detection and assignment. Each cooperative target is equipped with a UWB tag, and the UWB distance measurement provides an unambiguous identifier that mediates the complex task of tracking multiple targets. This reduces the difficulty of detecting and measuring multiple targets while maintaining high productivity through simultaneous tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a second measurement dimension by incorporating UWB distance measurement alongside optical tracking. This dimensional addition provides an extra degree of freedom for target identification and assignment. By measuring targets in both optical space and UWB distance space, the system reduces the complexity of detecting and measuring multiple targets simultaneously while maintaining high productivity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a system being configured for confirming a mobile cooperative target being automatically tracked and measured by a total station or theodolite in order to automatically control a machine operation of a construction site machine, comprising at least one total station or theodolite with a UWBST anchor-module having an anchor-ID, and a cooperative target associated with a UWBST tag-module having a tag-identifier (tag-ID) and being used for automatically controlling a machine operation of the construction site machine. The system further comprises a machine control unit associated with the construction site machine configured for controlling machine operations based on tracking and continuously measuring cooperative targets wherein tracking and continuously measuring is carried out by the total station or theodolite, and an ultra-wide band (UWB) distance meter associated with the UWBST anchor-module configured for measuring a distance (UWB-distance) between the UWBST anchor-module and the UWBST tag-module. The measured UWB-distance with the assigned tag- and anchor-IDs is then provided to the machine control unit, wherein the machine control unit is configured for matching measured optical distances to measured UWB-distances and using the matching as confirmation that the cooperative target being tracked and continuously measured by the total station or theodolite is the cooperative target being used for automatically controlling the machine operation.