Method and system of configuring a machine control unit of a construction machine
A system and method for configuring a machine control unit of a construction machine for performing an earth-moving operation, the earth-moving operation comprising a multitude of phases that are to be performed consecutively, the method comprising, by a computing unit: receiving three-dimensional measuring data of a terrain in a surrounding of the construction machine in at least a first detection range, detecting elements of a previous phase of the earth-moving operation based on the three-dimensional measuring data, and configuring, based at least on the detected elements, the machine control unit to at least partially perform the next phase of the earth-moving operation automatically.
1 . A system for digging a ditch or a trench using a construction machine, the construction machine comprising a machine control unit and a blade, the digging comprising a multitude of phases that are to be performed consecutively, each phase comprising a pass of the grading machine along a digging line, the multitude of phases including a plurality of cutting passes in which the blade is used for performing cuts,
wherein the system comprises:
a measuring system comprising one or more measuring units, at least one measuring unit being provided at the construction machine and being configured for capturing three-dimensional measuring data of a terrain in a surrounding of the construction machine in a first detection range;
a context camera having a known position relative to the measuring system and/or the three-dimensional measuring data and being configured for capturing context image data of the terrain within the first detection range;
a user interface configured for displaying at least one context image based on the context image data to an operator of the construction machine and for receiving user input from the operator of the construction machine; and
a computing unit operatively coupled at least with the measuring system, the user interface and the machine control unit,
wherein the computing unit is configured for
detecting terrain elements produced by a previous phase of the digging based on the three-dimensional measuring data, the detected terrain elements comprising at least one of an edge and a surface;
overlaying the detected terrain elements on the displayed context image;
receiving input from the operator on the user interface, the input being related to a next phase of the digging and comprising a selection of one or more of:
an edge produced by a previous cutting pass,
a surface produced by a previous cutting pass, and
an edge and a surface produced by a previous cutting pass and a selection to adjust a cross slope of the surface for the next pass while maintaining the selected edge as a vertex of a plane to be shaped during the next pass; and
configuring, based at least on the detected terrain elements and on the input from the operator, the machine control unit to at least partially perform the next phase of the digging automatically.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , each measuring unit being configured for capturing 3D point cloud data, wherein each measuring unit comprises:
at least one laser scanner,
a plurality of ToF cameras,
a millimetre wave radar system, and/or
one or more stereo camera systems.
3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein
the user interface comprises a touch-sensitive display on which the context image is displayed and on which the user input is received.
4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the construction machine is a motor grader, the earth-moving operation comprises construction of a ditch, and
the digging line is a ditch line.
5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the computing unit is configured for
receiving operator input indicating a desired line, along which line the digging is desired to be performed,
localizing the construction machine based on the three-dimensional measuring data,
positioning the blade at the desired line, and
performing a first phase of the multitude of phases, thereby producing detectable elements, particularly wherein
the grading machine is localized relative to the desired line;
the computing unit is configured for steering the construction machine to the desired line; and/or
the desired line is a spline.
6 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein operator input comprises an offset of the desired line from a given line and the computing unit is configured to calculate the desired line based on the offset, particularly wherein the given line is a spline and the computing unit is configured to calculate a spline as the desired line based on the offset.
7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein
the measuring system is configured for continuously capturing the three-dimensional measuring data and for continuously providing the captured three-dimensional measuring data to the computing unit;
the computing unit is configured for continuously evaluating the three-dimensional measuring data for detecting the elements and for continuously configuring the machine control unit while at least partially automatically performing a phase of the digging.
8 . The construction machine, comprising
the blade for digging the ditch or trench;
the machine control unit for at least partially controlling the digging; and
the system according to claim 1 , the system being operatively coupled with the machine control unit or comprising the machine control unit.
9 . The construction machine according to claim 8 , wherein the construction machine is a grader or a dozer.
10 . A computer-implemented method for digging a ditch or a trench using a construction machine, the construction machine comprising a machine control unit and a blade, the digging comprising a multitude of phases that are to be performed consecutively, each phase comprising a pass of the construction machine along a digging line, the multitude of phases including a plurality of cutting passes in which the blade is used for performing cuts, the method comprising
a computing unit receiving, from a measuring system comprising a measuring unit that is provided at the construction machine, three-dimensional measuring data of a terrain in a surrounding of the construction machine in a first detection range;
the computing unit detecting terrain elements produced by a previous phase of the digging based on the three-dimensional measuring data, the detected terrain elements comprising at least one of an edge and a surface;
a context camera capturing context image data of the terrain within the first detection range, the context camera having a known position relative to the three-dimensional measuring data and/or to the measuring system;
displaying at least one context image based on the context image data to an operator of the construction machine, overlaying the detected terrain elements on the displayed context image;
receiving input from the operator on the user interface, the input being related to a next phase of the digging, the input from the operator comprising a selection of one or more of;
an edge produced by a previous cutting pass,
a surface produced by a previous cutting pass, and
an edge and a surface produced by a previous cutting pass and a selection to adjust a cross slope of the surface for the next pass while maintaining the selected edge as a vertex of a plane to be shaped during the next pass; and
the computing unit configuring, based at least on the detected terrain elements and on the input from the operator, the machine control unit to at least partially perform the next phase of the digging automatically.
11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the construction machine is a motor grader, the digging comprises constructing a ditch, and the digging line is a ditch line.
12 . The method according to claim 10 , comprising
receiving operator input indicating a desired line, along which line the digging is desired to be performed,
localizing the construction machine based on the three-dimensional measuring data, particularly relative to the desired line,
positioning the blade at the desired line, and
performing a first phase of the multitude of phases, thereby producing detectable elements.
13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein
the method comprises automatically steering the construction machine to the desired line;
the desired line is a spline; and/or
the operator input comprises an offset of the desired line from a given line and the method comprises calculating the desired line based on the offset.
14 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein
the three-dimensional measuring data is captured continuously and evaluated continuously for detecting the terrain elements, and
the machine control unit is configured continuously while at least partially automatically performing a phase of the digging.
15 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein
the digging comprises constructing a ditch,
the desired line is a ditch line, particularly a ditch edge line,
the first phase is a marking pass along the ditch line, and
the detectable elements produced by the marking pass comprise an edge and/or surface.
16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein
the construction machine is a motor grader;
the earth-moving operation comprises V ditching; and/or
the ditch line is a ditch edge line, a ditch spline or a ditch edge spline.
17 . A computer program product comprising program code which is stored on a non-transitory machine-readable medium, and having computer-executable instructions for performing the method according to claim 10 .
18 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the construction machine is a dozer, and the digging comprises digging a trench.
19 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the construction machine is a dozer, and the digging comprises digging a trench.
20 . A system for construction of a ditch using a motor grader, the motor grader comprising a machine control unit, the construction of the ditch comprising V ditching in a multitude of phases that are to be performed consecutively, each phase comprising a pass of the motor grader along a ditch line, the multitude of phases including a plurality of cutting passes, the system comprising
a measuring system comprising one or more measuring units, at least one measuring unit being provided at the motor grader and being configured for capturing three-dimensional measuring data of a terrain in a surrounding of the motor grader in a first detection range;
a context camera having a known position relative to the measuring system and/or the three-dimensional measuring data and being configured for capturing context image data of the terrain within the first detection range;
a user interface configured for displaying at least one context image based on the context image data to an operator of the motor grader and for receiving user input from the operator of the motor grader; and
a computing unit operatively coupled at least with the measuring system, the user interface and the machine control unit,
wherein the computing unit is configured for
detecting terrain elements produced by a previous phase of the V ditching based on the three-dimensional measuring data, the detected terrain elements comprising at least one of an edge and a surface;
overlaying the detected elements on the displayed context image;
receiving input from the operator on the user interface, the input being related to a next phase of the V ditching and comprising a selection of one or more of:
an edge produced by a previous cutting pass,
a surface produced by a previous cutting pass, and
an edge and a surface produced by a previous cutting pass and a selection to adjust a cross slope of the surface for the next pass while maintaining the selected edge as a vertex of a plane to be shaped during the next pass; and
configuring, based at least on the detected terrain elements and on the input from the operator, the machine control unit to at least partially perform the next phase of the V ditching automatically.