Automatic excavator, automatic excavation method and automatic loading method

• US 6,247,538 B1
• Filed: 05/11/1999
• Issued: 06/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Takeda, Shu, Hiyoshi, Megumi, Tojima, Masanori, Ozaki, Tomonori
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US09/254,660
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 172/2, 172/3, 172/4, 172/4.5, 172/7, 172/5, 373/48, 342/22, 414/694, 738/665, 701/50
• US Class Current: 172/2
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/842 using electromagnetic, optical or photoelectric beams, e.g. laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2045 Guiding machines along a predetermined path for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0251 extracting 3D information from a plurality of images taken from different locations, e.g. stereo vision stereoscopic image analysis H04N13/00; depth recovery from images G06T7/593

Abstract

An automatic excavator for automatically excavating an excavation object and loading a loading object with the result excavation by utilizing a measuring instrument for determining the distance between the excavator and the excavation object and the loading object, an excavation object recognition system for recognizing a three-dimensional shape of the excavation object on the basis of an output from the measuring instrument, a target excavation position computing system for computing the target excavation position on the basis of the three-dimensional shape of the recognized excavation object, a target loading position computing system for computing a relative position of the loading object with respect to the excavator and a relative attitude of the excavator with respect to the loading object on the basis of an output from the measuring instrument, and computing a target loading position on the basis of the computed relative position, an automatic positioning system for automatically positioning the excavator in the computed target excavation position and the target loading position, an automatic excavation control system for automatically excavating the excavation object in the target excavation position, and an automatic loading control system for automatically loading the loading object with the excavation in the target loading position, whereby a series of operations from evacuation to loading can be carried out automatically and efficiently by using one automatic excavator.

Claims

1. An automatic excavator adapted to automatically carry out a series of processes for excavating an excavation object and loading a loading object with resultant excavation, comprising:

a measuring instrument for determining distances from the excavator to the excavation object and the loading object;

excavation object recognition means for recognizing a three-dimensional shape of the excavation object on the basis of an output from the measuring instrument;

target excavation position computing means for identifying a point having the smallest distance from the excavator in the excavation object of the three-dimensional shape from which portions below the ground level are excluded as a protruding position, and determining the protruding position as a target excavation position;

target loading position computing means for computing a relative position of the loading object with respect to the excavator and a relative attitude of the excavator with respect to the loading object on the basis of an output from the measuring instrument, and computing a target loading position on the basis of the computed relative position;

automatic positioning means for automatically positioning the excavator or a working machine in the computed target excavation position and target loading position;

automatic excavation control means for automatically excavating the excavation object in the target position; and

automatic loading control means for automatically loading the loading object with the excavation in the target loading position.

2. The automatic excavator according to claim 1, wherein the measuring instrument is at least two cameras disposed with a predetermined distance apart from each other.

3. An automatic excavator adapted to automatically excavate a cone-shaped excavation object comprising:

an excavator

measuring means for determining a distance from the excavator to the excavation object;

excavation object recognition means for recognizing a three-dimensional shape of the excavation object on the basis of an output from the measuring means;

protruding position detecting means for detecting a point having the smallest distance from the excavator in the excavation object of the three-dimensional shape from which portions below ground level are excluded as a protruding position; and

excavating means for automatically excavating by determining the protruding position as a target excavation position.

4. The automatic excavator according to claim 3, wherein the excavation object recognition means executes three-dimensional shape recognition processing for the excavation object at each excavation.

5. The automatic excavator according to claim 3, wherein the measuring instrument is at least two cameras disposed with a predetermined distance apart from each other.