Wearable Display Switching for Safer Remote Machine Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional remote operation systems for working machines, such as hydraulic excavators, face issues with the operator's visual field obstruction due to wearable displays, leading to potential erroneous operations as the operator cannot simultaneously view their surroundings and the working area images, compromising operational accuracy and safety.
Innovation Solution
A remote operation system that includes a wearable display with a particular display area for showing working area images, a surrounding image taking camera, and judgment information acquisition devices to assess the operator's operation intention, switching between displaying the working area and surrounding images based on the operator's intention, ensuring the operator can recognize their environment and preventing unintended operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the operator wears goggles with liquid crystal panels to view working area images during remote operation, then the operator can see the construction target clearly, but the operator's visual field is obstructed and the surrounding situation cannot be grasped
Solution Approach 1:
The display device is divided into multiple independent display regions: a first display region showing working area images and a second display region showing surrounding situation images. This segmentation allows the operator to view different types of information simultaneously without obstruction, resolving the contradiction between needing clear working area visibility and maintaining awareness of the surrounding environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-viewpoint display (either working area or surrounding) to a multi-dimensional display approach by incorporating both working area images and surrounding situation images in different spatial regions of the same display device. This enables the operator to access multiple visual dimensions simultaneously, eliminating visual field obstruction while maintaining working area visibility.
2Reliability
If the wearable display continuously shows working area images, then the operator can maintain focus on the working machine, but the operator cannot recognize their own environment, leading to potential erroneous operations
Solution Approach 1:
The display device dynamically switches between displaying working area images and surrounding situation images based on operational context. The control device determines what to display in each region based on real-time conditions, allowing the system to adapt to different operational phases and maintain both reliability and environmental awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to the operator by displaying surrounding situation images in the second display region, enabling the operator to monitor their environment and detect potential hazards. This feedback mechanism prevents erroneous operations by keeping the operator informed about the surrounding context while maintaining focus on the working area.
3Productivity
If the display device shows only working area images, then the operator can concentrate on operation tasks, but the operator cannot detect potential hazards in the surrounding area, compromising safety
Solution Approach 1:
The display device is segmented into multiple functional regions: the first display region maintains high-resolution working area images for operational efficiency, while the second display region provides surrounding situation images for safety monitoring. This segmentation allows both productivity and safety requirements to be satisfied simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides more visual information than traditionally required by displaying both working area and surrounding situation images simultaneously. This excessive action of providing comprehensive visual feedback ensures that safety is not compromised while maintaining operational efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a remote operation system for a working machine, including a control device enabling an operator wearing a wearable display to grasp the surrounding situation of himself/herself. The control device includes an operation intention judgment section judging the presence/absence of an operator's operation intention to a remote operation lever based on the contents of acquired judgment information, and a display image switching section. With judgment of presence of the operation intention, the display image switching section makes a working area image taken by a working area image taking camera be displayed in a particular display area of the wearable display. With judgment of absence of the operation intention, the display image switching section stops the display of the working area image in the at least a part of the particular display area and switches it to a surrounding visual-recognition allowing area allowing the operator to visually recognize the surroundings.