Development of a vision-based machine guidance system for hydraulic excavators

An excavator is a representative construction machine used to perform earthwork. The work efficiency of an excavator significantly influences the overall work productivity of the earthwork. However, the work efficiencies of the excavators reduce with the increasing shortage of skilled excavator drivers. This study aims to develop a vision-based machine guidance system for excavators that can be used in earthwork sites to improve the work safety and efficiency of the operation. The prototype of the vision-based machine guidance system developed in this study had an around-view monitoring (AVM) image radius of 7 m. The information is updated every 50 ms, and the AVM images are refreshed at an average rate of 28.2 fps, thereby improving the efficiency of the actual excavation. The performance and stability of the developed prototype were verified through 80 h of continuous field operation. In this study, field testing was conducted on one excavator driver. Hence, further work is necessary to quantitatively verify the system using many excavator drivers. The system can improve the work efficiency after its commercialization, in comparison to that of conventional earthwork using excavators. It allows the drivers to perform earthwork with improved safety and a full view around the excavator.