Work Machine Surround Monitoring with Operation-Triggered Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for monitoring the surroundings of work machines often result in inappropriate alarm timing, distracting operators and reducing their concentration during operations.
Innovation Solution
A remote operation system equipped with cameras, object sensors, and a control device that detects objects in a target space around the work machine, providing audio and visual alerts to operators about the presence or absence of objects, allowing them to recognize the situation effectively without constant visual attention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If alarm output units continuously monitor and output alarms for objects in monitoring spaces, then operator awareness of surrounding objects is improved, but operator concentration and operational smoothness deteriorate due to inappropriate alarm timing
Solution Approach 1:
The alarm output is made dynamic by linking it to the operational state of the work machine. The control device determines whether to output alarms based on real-time detection of operation states (e.g., whether the machine is moving, working, or idle). This dynamic adaptation ensures alarms are only issued at appropriate moments during operation, avoiding unnecessary distractions while maintaining safety awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the operation state of the work machine and using this information to modulate alarm output. The control device receives feedback from operation state detectors and adjusts alarm behavior accordingly, creating a closed-loop system that balances safety monitoring with operational efficiency.
2Reliability
If multiple alarm output units are installed for different monitoring spaces, then comprehensive surrounding monitoring is improved, but system complexity and alarm management burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The alarm output units serve multiple functions: they not only alert operators to objects in monitoring spaces but also provide feedback about the operational context. The control device integrates information from multiple sensors and operation state detectors to make intelligent decisions about alarm issuance, making the system more versatile while managing complexity through centralized control logic.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a surrounding monitoring apparatus capable of enabling an operator of a work machine to recognize the situation in the surroundings of the work machine at an appropriate timing. The apparatus includes an operation state detector (46) detecting an operation state which is a state of an operation applied to an operation device for operating a work machine (10) by the operator, a surrounding object detection part (25b) detecting the presence or absence of an object in a target space (AR) around the work machine (10), a speaker (43) for outputting notification information to the operator, and an output information control unit (47a) making the speaker (43) output a sound indicating a result of the detection by the surrounding object detection unit (25b) in response to the detection of an initial operation state where an initial operation for starting the work machine (10) is applied to the operation device by the operation state detector (46).