Worksite Proximity Warning via Ad-Hoc Sensor Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operators of lifting devices, such as cranes, face challenges in monitoring the position and orientation of loads and avoiding collisions due to blind spots and diminished situational awareness, particularly in complex work environments like construction sites, where multiple lifting devices are in operation simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A lifting device sensor system that includes a sensor unit with GNSS receivers, inertial sensors, and object identifiers, which provides real-time positioning and collision avoidance capabilities through wireless communication, enabling efficient load delivery and hazard avoidance by creating ad-hoc networks and using transceivers to calculate distances and provide proximity warnings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If operators rely on visual monitoring to track load position and avoid collisions, then operational simplicity is maintained, but safety and situational awareness deteriorate due to blind spots and obstructed views
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual monitoring with an automated sensor system that uses GNSS receivers, inertial sensors, and object identifiers to detect and track load position, equipment location, and potential hazards. This substitution eliminates blind spots and provides continuous real-time data without requiring constant operator attention, thereby improving safety while maintaining operational simplicity through automated monitoring.
2Productivity
If multiple lifting devices operate simultaneously on a worksite, then productivity is improved, but collision risk increases due to reduced clearance and operator concentration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback system where sensors continuously monitor the positions of multiple lifting devices, loads, and hazards, and the system processes this data to generate real-time proximity warnings. The transceivers calculate distances between objects and provide immediate feedback to operators when clearance thresholds are approached, enabling safe simultaneous operation of multiple lifting devices by maintaining situational awareness without increasing operator concentration requirements.
3Reliability
If operators maintain constant concentration to monitor load position and clearance, then collision avoidance is improved, but operator fatigue increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the monitoring system to serve itself by automatically detecting positions, calculating distances, and generating warnings without requiring continuous operator intervention. The sensor system and transceivers perform self-monitoring of load position and equipment clearance, freeing operators from the need to maintain constant concentration while preserving collision avoidance capabilities through automated alerting when hazards are detected.
4Loss of information
If real-time positioning systems are implemented to provide continuous location data, then situational awareness is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves situational awareness by integrating multiple sensor types (GNSS receivers, inertial sensors, object identifiers) into a unified system that serves multiple functions: tracking load position, monitoring equipment location, identifying hazards, and calculating proximity warnings. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems, reducing overall complexity while providing comprehensive real-time information to operators through a single integrated platform.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for warning of proximity in a worksite are disclosed. A second transceiver is detected at a first transceiver, wherein the first transceiver is a mobile wearable device, and wherein the first transceiver and the second transceiver are located at a worksite. An ad-hoc network is established, at the first transceiver, between the first transceiver and the second transceiver. A distance is calculated, at the first transceiver, in three dimensions between the first transceiver and the second transceiver based on the detecting the second transceiver. A first safety envelope is defined, at the first transceiver, about the first transceiver and a second safety envelope about the second transceiver. An alarm is issued, at the first transceiver, when the first safety envelope comes in contact with the second safety envelope.