AUTOMATED CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM AND METHOD
A system and method of organizing, managing, and controlling one or more construction vehicles (automated and/or semiautomated) to perform one or more construction tasks within a construction site is provided. The system includes a software platform programmed to control the one or more unmanned construction vehicles via a transmitter and a navigation system. The locations, routes, and general functionalities of the construction vehicles are automatically controlled.
1 . A method of performing construction comprising:
(A) providing first information regarding a first construction site;
(B) providing second information regarding first construction work to be performed at the first construction site;
(C) based at least in part on the first information and/or the second information, identifying a first construction vehicle to perform the first construction work;
(D) based at least in part on the first information and/or the second information and the first construction vehicle identified in (C), determining a first route for the first construction vehicle;
(E) transmitting to the first construction vehicle, by a transmitter, third information based at least in part on the first route;
(F) controlling remotely, by a transmitter and a navigation system, the first construction vehicle to perform the first route within the first construction site.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first construction site includes a paving construction site.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first information includes a construction site map.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first construction work includes paving construction work.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first construction vehicle is an unmanned vehicle.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first construction vehicle includes at least one of a paver vehicle, a double-drum roller, a single-drum roller, and a tire roller.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the third information includes a first construction vehicle starting location within the first construction site.
8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the third information includes at least one of a compaction overlap, number of compaction passes, compaction speed, vibration mode, and sprinkler mode.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the third information includes information relating to at least one of U-turns, back-and-forth rolling, diagonal translation, and lane changes.
10 . The method of claim 1 wherein a least a portion of the first information is captured using a site boundary mapping device.
11 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
(D)(1) based at least in part on the first information and/or the second information and the first construction vehicle identified in (C), determining at a first construction work parameter;
(E)(1) transmitting to the first construction vehicle, by a transmitter, fourth information based at least in part on the first construction work parameter;
(F)(1) controlling remotely, by a transmitter and a navigation system, the first construction vehicle to implement at least one first construction work parameter.
12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the fourth information includes at least one of a work length, a rolling start mode, a work width, a margin width, and a length of a rolling section.
13 . The method of claim 11 wherein the fourth information includes information relating to at least one of initial rolling, re-rolling, and final rolling.
14 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
(F)(1) prior to (F), remotely commanding, using a transmitter, the first construction vehicle to perform an auto-initialization process.
15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the auto-initialization process includes a self-inspection.
16 . The method of claim 14 further comprising:
(F)(2) receiving, by a transmitter, auto-initialization information from the first construction vehicle.
17 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
(G) providing fourth information regarding second construction work to be performed at the first construction site;
(G) based at least in part on the first information and/or the fourth information, identifying a second construction vehicle to perform the second construction work;
(H) based at least in part on the first information and/or the fourth information and the second construction vehicle identified in (G), determining a second route for the second construction vehicle;
(I) transmitting to the second construction vehicle, by a transmitter, fifth information based at least in part on the second route;
(J) controlling remotely, by a transmitter and a navigation system, the second construction vehicle to perform the second route within the first construction site.
18 . The method of claim 17 wherein the fifth information includes a second construction vehicle starting location within the first construction site.
19 . The method of claim 17 wherein the fifth information includes at least one of a compaction overlap, number of compaction passes, compaction speed, vibration mode, and sprinkler mode.
20 . The method of claim 17 wherein the fifth information includes information relating to at least one of U-turns, back-and-forth rolling, diagonal translation, and lane changes.