Work Machine Target Location Display From Current Object Shape
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inexperienced operators of work machines, such as excavators, struggle to accurately locate target work locations due to a lack of guidance on where to start excavation and which areas to excavate next, leading to inefficiencies and potential errors.
Innovation Solution
A work machine equipped with a display device that recommends target work locations based on the current shape of the object, using information from sensors to guide the operator on optimal excavation paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If no guidance system is provided, then the device complexity is low, but the productivity and manufacturing precision deteriorate due to inexperienced operators struggling to locate target work locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a display device as an intermediary between the work machine and the operator. This display device provides visual guidance information about target work locations, acting as a mediator that translates complex sensor data and processing results into simple, actionable visual cues for the operator, thereby improving productivity without requiring direct complexity in the operational interface
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the need for operator expertise and manual judgment (human cognitive system) with an automated information processing system that uses sensors, processing units, and display devices. This substitution of mechanical and cognitive systems with automated electronic systems resolves the contradiction by handling complexity in the background while maintaining simplicity in the user interface
2Manufacturing precision
If guidance information is provided, then the manufacturing precision of work location accuracy is improved, but the loss of time for information processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously acquiring work area information and processing target work location data in advance, before the operator needs to make decisions. The display device shows pre-processed guidance information, eliminating the need for real-time complex calculations during operation, thus maintaining high accuracy while reducing perceived processing time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements efficient information processing that skips unnecessary computational steps. The processing unit focuses specifically on extracting and displaying critical target location information rather than performing exhaustive analysis, allowing the system to rush through the essential processing steps quickly while maintaining accuracy
3Ease of operation
If visual recommendations are provided, then the ease of operation is improved for inexperienced operators, but the device complexity increases due to additional display and processing components
Solution Approach 1:
The display device serves as an intermediary that simplifies the operator's task by presenting processed guidance information in an easily understandable visual format. This intermediary handles the complexity of data processing internally while presenting simple, intuitive visual cues to the operator, improving ease of operation without requiring the operator to understand the underlying system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically acquiring work area information through sensors, processing the data to determine target locations, and displaying the results without requiring operator intervention in the processing steps. The system serves itself by handling all complex operations autonomously, leaving only simple visual interpretation for the operator
Data Source
AI summary
A work machine includes: a work device configured to change a shape of an object in a work range of the work machine; and a display device configured to recommend, in a visible way, a target work location in the work range of the work machine, based on information about a current shape of the object, the target work location being where the work device changes the shape of the object.