JP7620477B2 - Construction Machinery - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to construction machinery, and in particular to construction machinery equipped with a GNSS antenna.

Construction machines such as excavators, wheel loaders, and vibratory rollers used for construction work at civil engineering sites have a frame that forms the main body, wheels or tracks for running, and perform the desired work according to operating instructions from an operator.

In recent years, the development of automated construction machinery has been progressing in the field of construction machinery, with the aim of making construction more efficient and automating operations. In particular, in the field of compaction machinery, such as vibratory rollers, efforts to automate this process are progressing, as it is a relatively simple task of compacting the road surface using the machine's own weight and vibration as it travels.

In automating such compaction machines, a method is generally adopted in which a satellite positioning system called GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) or a total station is used to recognize the current position of the vehicle and control its travel so that the vehicle can travel repeatedly over a specific area at the construction site.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes an unmanned construction system that includes a vibratory roller that compacts the ground, a total station that is erected at the construction site, and a host PC that is installed in an operation room located away from the construction site. In this unmanned construction system, the host PC is configured to transmit position information of the vibratory roller received from the total station to the vibratory roller. In addition, the host PC is configured to periodically receive machine information of the vibratory roller (e.g., the moving direction, speed, steering angle, etc. of the vibratory roller) from the vibratory roller.

The vibrating roller described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a steering angle detection sensor on the center pin of the articulation mechanism that rotates the vibrating roller. The steering angle detected by this sensor is passed to the autonomous driving control device and used to correct the running direction of the vibrating roller. Specifically, when the articulation mechanism receives a control command from the autonomous driving control device to correct the direction of travel, the steering cylinder expands and contracts based on the control command, changing the direction of the front wheels.

Patent No. 6751588

When a rolling machine performs compaction work, it may move its travel area, a process commonly known as lane changing. In this case, the rolling machine must steer to enter an area where the road surface to be worked on has not yet been compacted, which may result in the machine's body swaying (yaw, roll, pitch) and wheels slipping (skidding and spinning).

As described above, the vibratory roller described in Patent Document 1 detects the steering angle using a steering angle detection sensor (i.e., an internal sensor) installed on the center pin of the articulation mechanism. For this reason, if wheel slip occurs during compaction work, the direction of travel of the machine detected by the steering angle detection sensor may differ from the direction in which the machine is actually moving, and the sensor may obtain a measurement value that differs from the actual situation. In this way, if travel control of the compaction machine is performed based on a measurement value that differs from the actual situation, for example, the machine may wobble, deteriorating the accuracy of travel control, and ultimately reducing the final construction quality.

The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and its purpose is to provide a construction machine that performs highly accurate travel control and improves construction quality.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the construction machine of the present invention comprises a machine body including a front machine body and a rear machine body, front wheels rotatably attached to the front machine body, rear wheels rotatably attached to the rear machine body, and a connecting mechanism that articulates the front machine body and the rear machine body, wherein the connecting mechanism allows the front machine body to be steered relative to the rear machine body, and is characterized in that the construction machine further comprises a first position measurement device that is attached to the front machine body and configured to detect the front position coordinate of the front machine body, a second position measurement device that is attached to the rear machine body on a longitudinal axis that extends in the longitudinal direction through the center of the width of the machine body and configured to detect the rear position coordinate of the rear machine body, and a control device that includes a traveling direction calculation unit that calculates a directional component of a vector directed from the rear position coordinate to the front position coordinate based on the front position coordinate and the rear position coordinate, and outputs the directional component as a traveling direction relative to the longitudinal axis .

The construction machine of the present invention is provided with a connection mechanism that articulates the front machine body and the rear machine body, and is equipped with a first position measurement device configured to detect the front position coordinate of the front machine body, a second position measurement device configured to detect the rear position coordinate of the rear machine body on a longitudinal axis extending in the longitudinal direction through the center of the width direction of the machine body, and a control device including a traveling direction calculation unit that calculates a directional component of a vector from the rear position coordinate to the front position coordinate based on the front position coordinate and the rear position coordinate, and outputs the directional component as a traveling direction relative to the longitudinal axis . Since the traveling direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the machine body is calculated based on the front position coordinate and the rear position coordinate in this way, even if, for example, the front wheel or the rear wheel slips during the operation of the construction machine, the control device can accurately grasp the orientation of the machine body based on the traveling direction that corresponds to the actual situation. Therefore, even when the construction machine is automatically driven (for example, autonomous driving), the difference between the traveling direction of the machine body grasped by the control device and the traveling direction in which the machine body is actually moving becomes small, and the traveling control (for example, steering control) of the machine body can be performed with high accuracy. As a result, a construction machine that improves the construction quality can be provided.

1 is a left side view showing a schematic configuration of a rolling machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the position of a GNSS antenna attached to the rolling machine shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the rolling machine shown in FIG. 1 turning right. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a control device mounted on the rolling machine shown in FIG. 1, and shows the configuration of the device used when performing autonomous operation control. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a control device mounted on the rolling machine shown in FIG. 1, and shows the configuration of the device used when performing remote control. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a control device mounted on the rolling machine shown in FIG. 1, and shows the configuration of the device used when performing site safety control. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an operation panel attached to the rolling machine shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the display content of an LED display attached to the rolling machine shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a wireless remote control used when remotely operating the rolling machine shown in FIG. 1. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a control flow in a control device implemented when autonomous operation control is performed in the rolling machine shown in FIG. 1 .

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a rolling machine 1, which is an example of a construction machine, will be described.

1 is a left side view showing a schematic configuration of a rolling machine 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view explaining the position of a GNSS antenna 98 attached to the rolling machine 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the state in which the rolling machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 is turning right. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the equipment configuration of a control device 90 mounted on the rolling machine 1 shown in FIG. 1, showing the equipment configuration used when performing autonomous operation control. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the equipment configuration of a control device 90 mounted on the rolling machine 1 shown in FIG. 1, showing the equipment configuration used when performing remote operation control. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the equipment configuration of a control device 90 mounted on the rolling machine 1 shown in FIG. 1, showing the equipment configuration used when performing site safety control. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram explaining the configuration of an operation panel 86 attached to the rolling machine 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the display content of an LED display 96 attached to the rolling machine 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a wireless remote control 100 used when remotely operating the rolling machine 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 10 illustrates the control flow in the control device 90 that is implemented when autonomous operation control is performed on the rolling machine 1 shown in FIG. 1.

For ease of explanation, the side of the rolling machine 1 where the rolling wheels 22 (front wheels) are provided is the "front", the side where the tires 24 (rear wheels) are provided is the "rear", "left" and "right" are defined based on the state when looking forward from the rear, and "up" and "down" are defined based on gravity. That is, the "front" and "rear" arrows shown in each figure indicate the forward and backward directions of the rolling machine 1, the "left" and "right" arrows indicate the left-right (vehicle width) direction of the rolling machine 1, and the "up" and "down" arrows indicate the up-down direction of the rolling machine 1.

<Overall configuration of the compaction machine>
As shown in Fig. 1, the rolling machine 1 is an articulated type earthwork vibratory roller used for the rolling of asphalt road surfaces, and includes a body 10 and wheels 20. The body 10 is composed of a front body 30 and a rear body 40. The front body 30 and the rear body 40 are articulatedly connected to each other via a connecting mechanism 15. The connecting mechanism 15 allows the front body 30 to turn (steer) in the yaw direction relative to the rear body 40 (Fig. 3). The wheels 20 are composed of rolling wheels 22 (front wheels) rotatably attached to the front body 30 and tires 24 (rear wheels) rotatably attached to the rear body 40.

The basic operations of the rolling machine 1 are vibration, running, steering, and compaction, and the rolling work is performed by appropriately combining these basic operations. The vibration operation is an operation in which the vibration actuator 120 (FIGS. 4 and 5) built into the rolling wheel 22 is vibrated to vibrate the rolling wheel 22. The running operation is an operation in which the rolling machine 1 runs by rotating the tire 24 using an engine and a hydraulic pump (neither of which are shown). During the rolling work, it is desirable to run the rolling machine 1 at a constant speed in order to keep the degree of compaction of the road surface constant. The steering operation is an operation in which the steering actuator 116 (FIGS. 4 and 5) is operated using the engine and hydraulic pump to bend the front body 30 relative to the rear body 40. The compaction operation is an operation in which a load is applied to the road surface through the rolling wheel 22 and the tire 24 by the weight of the rolling machine 1 and the vibration of the rolling wheel 22, which is added as necessary, while the rolling machine 1 is running.

<Roller wheel, front fuselage>
As shown in Fig. 1, the rolling wheel 22 is formed in a drum shape and is housed inside the frame of the front body 30. End walls located on both the left and right sides of the rolling wheel 22 are rotatably supported by a pair of side frames 32 (described later) via support units incorporating, for example, vibration isolating rubber. In this way, the rolling wheel 22 is elastically supported by the front body 30. A vibration actuator 120, such as a vibration motor, that vibrates the rolling wheel 22 is built into the rolling wheel 22, and the rolling wheel 22 is vibrated by driving the vibration actuator 120.

The front body 30 includes a pair of side frames 32 extending along each end wall of the rolling wheel 22, a front connection frame (not shown) that connects the front ends of the pair of side frames 32 in front of the rolling wheel 22, and a rear connection frame (not shown) that connects the rear ends of the pair of side frames 32 behind the rolling wheel 22. Specifically, the pair of side frames 32 are plate-shaped members extending in the front-rear direction on the outside of the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) of the rolling wheel 22. The front connection frame is a rectangular column-shaped member extending in the left-right direction in front of the rolling wheel 22. The front ends of the pair of side frames 32 are fixed to both left and right ends of the front connection frame via fastening members such as bolts. The rear connection frame is a rectangular column-shaped member extending in the left-right direction behind the rolling wheel 22. The rear ends of the pair of side frames 32 are fixed to both left and right ends of the rear connection frame via fastening members such as bolts. The front body 30 is formed into a frame having a rectangular shape in plan view by a pair of side frames 32, a front connection frame, and a rear connection frame. In addition, a scraper device 38 is attached to the front connection frame of the front body 30 to scrape off dirt and other debris adhering to the outer circumferential surface of the rolling wheels 22.

<Tires, rear fuselage>
As shown in Fig. 1, the rear body 40 is configured to include a rear frame 50, a rear bumper 52 attached to the rear end of the rear frame 50, a control device housing 60 mounted on a front portion of the rear frame 50, and a drive device housing 70 mounted on a rear portion of the rear frame 50. Tires 24 are rotatably attached to the rear frame 50. One tire 24 is attached to each of the left and right sides of the rear frame 50. In other words, the rear frame 50 is disposed between the left and right tires 24. It should be noted that in the rolling machine 1 according to this embodiment, a so-called driver's seat (i.e., a cabin) is not provided above the rear frame 50.

The control device housing 60 is a housing that houses the control device 90 described later, and is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The drive device housing 70 is a housing that houses a diesel engine and a hydraulic pump. The hydraulic pump is driven by the diesel engine and supplies hydraulic oil to hydraulic devices such as the vibration actuator 120, a travel actuator 118 (e.g., a swash plate type variable displacement travel motor) configured to drive the tires 24, and a steering actuator 116 (e.g., a hydraulic cylinder) configured to steer the front body 30 relative to the rear body 40. The travel actuator 118 is attached to the body 10, and controls the travel speed and forward/rearward direction of the rolling machine 1 by adjusting the displacement volume of the pressurized oil and the tilt direction of the swash plate.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connecting mechanism 15 connects the front body 30 and the rear body 40 to each other in an articulated manner. Specifically, the rear connection frame of the front body 30 and the rear frame 50 of the rear body 40 are rotatably connected via the connecting mechanism 15. The steering actuator 116 is configured to include, for example, a pair of hydraulic cylinders and a pair of piston rods housed in the pair of hydraulic cylinders so as to be able to expand and contract. The pair of hydraulic cylinders are attached to the rear body so as to be able to rotate relative to the pair of piston rods, and the pair of piston rods are attached to the front body 30 so as to be able to rotate relative to the pair of hydraulic cylinders. The hydraulic pressure in the pair of hydraulic cylinders is changed by the pressure oil supplied by the hydraulic pump to expand and contract the pair of piston rods, thereby rotating the front body 30 relative to the rear body 40 and realizing a steering operation. Note that the configuration of the steering actuator 116 is publicly known, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 1 to 9, the rolling machine 1 further includes a machine information acquisition means 108, a camera 82, a hood member 84, an operation panel 86, a communication device 88, a control device 90, a warning light 92, a lighting device 94, and an LED display 96.

<Method of acquiring aircraft information>
The machine information acquisition means 108 is configured to acquire various information of the machine 10 necessary for autonomous operation of the compaction machine 1 described later and transmit it to the control device 90, and is configured to include a GNSS antenna 98, a shift lever position sensor 99 (forward/reverse detection sensor), an obstacle detection sensor 80, and a speed detection sensor (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 1, the GNSS antenna 98 includes a front GNSS antenna 98a (first position measurement device) attached to a front base 104 fixed to the front body 30, and a rear GNSS antenna 98b (second position measurement device) attached to a rear base 105 fixed to the rear body 40. The front base 104 and the rear base 105 are, for example, rod-shaped members that extend upward from the front body 30 and the rear body 40 beyond the upper surface of the control device housing 60. The front GNSS antenna 98a and the rear GNSS antenna 98b are installed at the top of the front base 104 and the rear base 105, respectively, and are thus positioned at the top of the rolling machine 1.

The GNSS antenna 98 receives signals from multiple positioning satellites and is an antenna for measuring the current position of the rolling machine 1 on the ground. Specifically, the front GNSS antenna 98a is configured to detect the front position coordinates of the front body 30 and output the front position coordinates as a positioning signal Gf. The rear GNSS antenna 98b is configured to detect the rear position coordinates of the rear body 40 and output the rear position coordinates as a positioning signal Gr. Here, the position coordinates detected by the GNSS antenna 98 refer to three-dimensional coordinates of latitude, longitude, and altitude. The position coordinates may be determined by a local coordinate system determined at the construction site. As shown in FIG. 4, the front GNSS antenna 98a and the rear GNSS antenna 98b are configured to transmit the position coordinates of the rolling machine 1 to the control device 90 as positioning signals Gf and Gr, respectively.

1 and 2, the front GNSS antenna 98a is installed in the front part of the front body 30, and the rear GNSS antenna 98b is installed in the rear part of the rear body 40. Specifically, the front GNSS antenna 98a and the rear GNSS antenna 98b are installed on the longitudinal axis L that extends in the longitudinal direction through the widthwise center of the body 10, at positions equidistant in the longitudinal direction from the rotation axis of the connecting mechanism 15. Note that it is preferable that the front GNSS antenna 98a and the rear GNSS antenna 98b are located in the center of the rolling wheel 22 and the tire 24, which are ground contact parts and serve as fulcrums during turning. Therefore, in the control device 90, the positions of the front GNSS antenna 98a and the rear GNSS antenna 98b may be corrected to the center of the rotation axis X1 of the rolling wheel 22 (i.e., the intersection of the axis L and the axis X1) and to the center of the rotation axis X2 of the tire 24 (i.e., the intersection of the axis L and the axis X2) based on the dimensions of the vehicle 10.

The shift lever position sensor 99 is attached to the vehicle 10 and is configured to detect forward and reverse travel information of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the shift lever position sensor 99 is configured to determine the position of the shift lever in the vehicle 10, and thereby detect whether the vehicle 10 is in a forward or reverse state. As shown in FIG. 4, the shift lever position sensor 99 transmits forward and reverse travel information of the vehicle 10 to the control device 90 as a shift lever position signal Sp.

The obstacle detection sensor 80 is attached to the aircraft 10 and is configured to detect the distance between the aircraft 10 and obstacles around the aircraft 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the obstacle detection sensor 80 includes a front distance sensor 80a attached to the front side of the rear aircraft 40 and a rear distance sensor 80b attached to the rear side of the rear aircraft. The obstacle detection sensor 80 includes a light-emitting unit that emits projected light and a light-receiving unit that receives reflected light when the projected light hits an object, and measures the distance to the obstacle from the time difference between the projected light and the reflected light (so-called LiDAR). As shown in FIG. 6, the obstacle detection sensor 80 is configured to transmit distance information between the obstacle and the aircraft 10 to the control device 90.

The speed detection sensor detects the speed at which the rolling machine 1 moves forward and backward, and is, for example, a rotary encoder that detects the number of rotations of a driving motor provided on the tire 24. The speed sensor is configured to transmit speed information of the rolling machine 1 to the control device 90.

<Camera 82>
The camera 82 is configured to photograph the surroundings of the vehicle body 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the camera 82 is configured to include a pair of side cameras 82c that are attached to the sides of the rear vehicle body 40 and configured to photograph the sides of the vehicle body 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the pair of side cameras 82c are attached to a pair of front lateral hood parts 84b described later. The camera 82 may be configured to include a front camera that is attached to the front of the rear vehicle body 40 and configured to photograph the front of the vehicle body 10, and a rear camera 82b that is attached to the rear of the rear vehicle body 40 and configured to photograph the rear of the vehicle body 10. The front camera is attached to the front part of the control device housing 60. As shown in FIG. 1, the rear camera 82b is attached to the rear frame 50 below the rear distance sensor 80b, and a part of it is arranged rearward of the rear bumper 52. The imaging range of the rear camera 82b does not include the rear distance sensor 80b. The front camera, rear camera 82b, and pair of side cameras 82c are provided one each on the front, rear, left and right sides of the rear body 40, thereby making it possible to capture images of the entire periphery of the body 10.

<Hood parts>
As shown in FIG. 1, the hood member 84 is attached to the rear body 40 and includes a front hood member 84e configured to cover the front camera. The hood member 84 is attached to the rear body 40 to form a part of the rear body 40. The front hood member 84e is provided to enhance the photographing function of the front camera 82a and has a role of suppressing adhesion of water droplets, mud, etc. to the front camera 82a. The front hood member 84e includes a front upper hood portion 84a extending in the left-right direction so as to cover the upper part of the front camera 82a, and a pair of front side hood portions 84b connected to the front upper hood portion 84a and extending in the up-down direction so as to cover the sides (both left and right sides) of the front camera 82a. The front upper hood portion 84a and the pair of front side hood portions 84b are formed of plate-shaped members and are attached so as to protrude forward from the front side of the control device housing 60. Further, the pair of front side hood parts 84b are formed so that a front-rear length L1 at a first tip part 84c, which is a lower part spaced downward from the front upper hood part 84a, is shorter than a front-rear length L2 at a first base part 84d, which is an upper part connected to the front upper hood part 84a. Each of the pair of front side hood parts 84b is formed so as to be partially curved rearward from the first base part 84d to the first tip part 84c.
<Operation panel>
As shown in FIG. 1, the operation panel 86 is attached to the left side of the rear frame 50. Specifically, the operation panel 86 is installed between the rolling wheels 22 and the tires 24 and below the LED display 96. The installation location of the operation panel 86 is not limited thereto, and may be installed, for example, behind the tires 24 and on the left side of the rear frame 50. As shown in FIG. 7, the operation panel 86 includes an operation panel monitor 86a, a VDC switch 86b, a horn switch 86c, a key switch 86d, an emergency stop switch 86e, a start switch 86f, a wireless permission switch 86g, a fan reverse switch 86h, an SCR regeneration switch 86i, and a standby switch 86j. As shown in FIG. 5, the operation panel 86 is configured to transmit a corresponding switch signal to the control device 90 in response to the operation of each of the above switches.

The operation panel monitor 86a displays information such as the items selected by the VDC switch 86b, the error code of the rolling machine 1, and the amount of oil, allowing the operator to visually check the status of the rolling machine 1. The VDC switch 86b is operated by the operator while rolling it by hand, and selects and executes various work items displayed on the operation panel monitor 86a. The configuration and function of the VDC switch 86b are publicly known, so detailed explanations are omitted. The horn switch 86c is a push button type switch used to alert surrounding workers, for example, before starting the engine of the rolling machine 1. The key switch 86d is a dial type switch that switches between power off, accessory power ON, main power ON, and engine start. The emergency stop switch 86e is a push button type switch that forcibly stops the engine. The start switch 86f is a switch for starting the engine, and the engine is started by rotating the key switch 86d to the engine start position while pressing the start switch 86f. The wireless permission switch 86g is a push button switch that allows or disallows operation of the rolling machine 1 by the wireless remote control 100 described later. In other words, unless the wireless permission switch 86g on the operation panel 86 is operated, the rolling machine 1 cannot be remotely operated by the wireless remote control 100 described later. The fan reverse switch 86h is a push button switch that reverses the rotation of the radiator fan provided on the rolling machine 1, thereby blowing away any debris that has clogged the radiator. The SCR regeneration switch 86i is a push button switch that operates a system that heats and burns off PM (particulate matter) captured by an SCR (selective catalytic reduction) attached to the muffler. The spare switch 86j is an empty switch that allows various switches to be added later as necessary.

<Communication Device>
5 and 6, the communication device 88 is mounted on the control device 90 and enables two-way communication with external communication devices (such as a tablet 102 or a wireless remote control 100) by, for example, a mobile phone communication standard (LTE) or a wireless LAN, etc. Specifically, the communication device 88 connects a tablet 102 held by the operator of the compaction machine 1 or a nearby worker, a wireless remote control 100 described below, and a host computer (not shown) installed outside the construction site to the control device 90 so as to enable two-way communication.

<Control device>
The control device 90 is mounted inside the control device housing 60. The control device 90 performs general control including engine operation control, and is configured to include an input/output device, a storage device (ROM, RAM, non-volatile RAM, etc.), a central processing unit (CPU), etc. The control device 90 will be described below in terms of the device configuration used for autonomous operation control (FIG. 4), the device configuration used for remote operation control (FIG. 5), and the device configuration used for site safety control (FIG. 6). Note that the autonomous operation control and remote operation control are collectively referred to as unmanned operation control. Site safety control refers to control implemented using the warning light 92, the LED display 96, and the tablet 102 to improve the safety of the operator of the rolling machine 1 and surrounding workers.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 90 includes a first position measurement unit 90b, a second position measurement unit 90a, a forward/reverse state acquisition unit 90c, a driving plan storage unit 90d, a traveling direction calculation unit 90e, a traveling direction reversal unit 90f, and an automatic driving control unit 90g.

The rear GNSS antenna 98b is electrically connected to the input side of the first position measurement unit 90b. As a result, the first position measurement unit 90b calculates the position coordinates of the rear GNSS antenna 98b (rear position coordinates) based on the positioning signal Gr acquired from the rear GNSS antenna 98b, and outputs it as the rear position Pr.

The front GNSS antenna 98a is electrically connected to the input side of the second position measurement unit 90a. As a result, the second position measurement unit 90a calculates the position coordinates of the front GNSS antenna 98a (front position coordinates) based on the positioning signal Gf acquired from the front GNSS antenna 98a, and outputs it as the front position Pf.

The input side of the forward/reverse state acquisition unit 90c is electrically connected to a shift lever position sensor 99. As a result, the forward/reverse state acquisition unit 90c determines the forward/reverse state of the vehicle 10, i.e., whether the vehicle 10 is in a forward or reverse state, based on the shift lever position signal SP (forward/reverse information) acquired from the shift lever position sensor 99, and outputs the result as the forward/reverse state SS.

The travel plan memory unit 90d pre-stores coordinates that identify the rolling road, which are necessary when controlling the autonomous operation of the rolling machine 1, and the width of the rolling road, as travel plan line information. Note that the travel plan line information may be pre-stored in a host computer that is external to the rolling machine 1.

The first position measurement unit 90b and the second position measurement unit 90a are electrically connected to the input side of the travel direction calculation unit 90e. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the travel direction calculation unit 90e calculates the direction component of a vector from the rear position coordinate to the front position coordinate based on the front position coordinate and the rear position coordinate, and outputs the direction component as the travel direction. More specifically, the travel direction calculation unit 90e calculates the direction component of a vector from the rear position coordinate to the front position coordinate based on the rear position Pr acquired from the first position measurement unit 90b and the front position Pf acquired from the second position measurement unit 90a, and outputs this direction component as the travel direction VD. Here, the direction component of the vector from the rear position coordinate to the front position coordinate is actually a three-dimensional vector, but the travel direction VD output from the travel direction calculation unit 90e means the horizontal component of the three-dimensional vector. This is because the travel direction VD is information for steering control of the rolling machine 1, as will be described later.

The input side of the travel direction reversing unit 90f is electrically connected to the travel direction calculation unit 90e and the forward/reverse state acquisition unit 90c. As a result, the travel direction reversing unit 90f calculates and outputs a travel direction VD' that takes into account the forward/reverse state of the vehicle 10 based on the travel direction VD acquired from the travel direction calculation unit 90e and the forward/reverse state SS acquired from the forward/reverse state acquisition unit 90c. Specifically, when the forward/reverse state acquisition unit 90c determines that the vehicle 10 is in a forward state, the travel direction reversing unit 90f outputs the travel direction VD as the travel direction VD' of the vehicle 10, and when the forward/reverse state acquisition unit 90c determines that the vehicle 10 is in a reverse state, the travel direction reversing unit 90f outputs the directional component obtained by reversing the travel direction VD as the travel direction VD' of the vehicle 10.

The input side of the automatic travel control unit 90g is electrically connected to the first position measurement unit 90b, the second position measurement unit 90a, the forward/reverse state acquisition unit 90c, the travel plan storage unit 90d, and the travel direction reversal unit 90f. As a result, the automatic travel control unit 90g calculates a control signal CS necessary for autonomous operation control of the rolling machine 1 based on the travel direction VD' acquired from the travel direction reversal unit 90f, and outputs it to the control valve 115. Specifically, the automatic travel control unit 90g acquires the rear position Pr from the first position measurement unit 90b and the front position Pf from the second position measurement unit 90a, and thereby calculates the current position of the vehicle 10 based on at least one of the front position coordinates and the rear position coordinates. In addition, the automatic travel control unit 90g compares the travel plan line information of the vehicle 10 acquired from the travel plan storage unit 90d with the above-mentioned current position to calculate the corrected position of the vehicle 10. In addition, when the travel plan line information is stored in a host computer outside the rolling machine 1, the current position information calculated by the control device 90 is transmitted to the host computer via the communication device 88, and the corrected position is calculated in the host computer. Then, the corrected position information transmitted from the host computer is received by the control device 90 of the rolling machine 1 via the communication device 88. In addition, the automatic travel control unit 90g compares the corrected position with the traveling direction VD' acquired from the traveling direction reversing unit 90f to calculate a corrected traveling direction relative to the traveling direction VD'. In addition, when the travel plan line information is stored in advance in the host computer, the corrected traveling direction may be calculated by the host computer. In this case, the corrected traveling direction information transmitted from the host computer is received by the control device 90 of the rolling machine 1 via the communication device 88. Furthermore, the automatic travel control unit 90g is configured to operate the traveling actuator 118 while operating the steering actuator 116 based on the corrected traveling direction. Here, the automatic travel control unit 90g operates the travel actuator 118 based on the forward/reverse travel state SS of the vehicle 10 acquired from the forward/reverse travel state acquisition unit 90c. Specifically, the automatic travel control unit 90g calculates a control signal CS required to operate the steering actuator 116 and the travel actuator 118 based on the above-mentioned correction direction and the forward/reverse travel state SS, and outputs the control signal CS to the control valve 115. Here, the control signal CS is a signal transmitted to the control valve 115 to operate the travel actuator 118, the steering actuator 116, and the vibration actuator 120, and is, for example, a steering angle signal (steering), a speed signal (vehicle speed), a forward/reverse travel signal (forward/reverse travel), a brake signal (braking), etc. Note that a speed detection sensor and an obstacle detection sensor 80 (FIG. 6) may be electrically connected to the input side of the automatic travel control unit 90g. In this case, the automatic travel control unit 90g is able to calculate the travel speed of the rolling machine 1 based on the speed information received from the speed detection sensor, and calculate the distance between the obstacle and the rolling machine 1 based on the distance information received from the obstacle detection sensor 80.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control panel 86 is electrically connected to the input side of the control device 90. As a result, the control device 90 receives operation information based on the operation of the control panel 86 by the operator or surrounding workers (for example, wireless operation permission information based on the operation of the wireless permission switch 86g), and performs processing according to the operation (for example, sending a wireless operation permission signal to the wireless remote control 100). The wireless remote control 100 is also connected to the control device 90 via the communication device 88 so as to be capable of two-way communication. As shown in FIG. 5, the travel actuator 118, the steering actuator 116, the vibration actuator 120, the LED display 96, the horn 122, and the left and right turn signals 124 are electrically connected to the output side of the control device 90. The travel actuator 118 receives a travel control signal from the control device 90, and adjusts the displacement volume of the pressure oil supplied from the hydraulic pump and the tilt direction of the swash plate based on the travel control signal, thereby adjusting the travel speed and forward/rearward direction of the rolling machine 1. The steering actuator 116 also receives a steering angle signal for the front body 30 from the wireless remote control 100 via the control device 90, and adjusts the pressure of the oil supplied from the hydraulic pump based on the corrected steering signal to adjust the steering angle of the front body 30 relative to the rear body 40. The vibration actuator 120 receives a vibration start signal from the control device 90, and adjusts the pressure oil supplied from the hydraulic pump based on the vibration start signal to vibrate the rolling wheel 22 at a predetermined amplitude. The horn 122 and the left and right turn signals 124 are also configured to receive a predetermined signal from the control device 90 and operate based on the signal. The LED display 96 is configured to receive a predetermined display signal from the control device 90 and display predetermined information, which will be described later, based on the display signal.

As shown in FIG. 6, the camera 82 and the obstacle detection sensor 80 are electrically connected to the input side of the control device 90, for example, via a CAN. Furthermore, the notification light 92 and the LED display 96 are electrically connected to the output side of the control device 90. The tablet 102 is connected to the control device 90 via the communication device 88 so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally.

The control device 90 is configured to calculate the distance between the obstacle and the aircraft 10 based on the distance information between the obstacle and the aircraft 10 detected by the obstacle detection sensor 80, and to transmit a notification signal according to the calculation result. Specifically, the control device 90 is configured to classify the distance between the obstacle and the aircraft 10 into, for example, three stages, transmit a blue notification signal when it determines that the distance is long, transmit a yellow notification signal when it determines that the distance is medium, and transmit a red notification signal when it determines that the distance is short. The distance classification (long, medium, short) between the obstacle and the aircraft 10 can be changed as appropriate. The notification signal transmitted by the control device 90 is received by the notification light 92 and the LED display 96, and the color (blue, yellow, red) corresponding to the notification signal is flashed or turned on to notify. The red alert signal may be transmitted by the control device 90 when the machine 10 comes to an abrupt stop due to approaching an obstacle or when the machine 10 breaks down and interferes with operation. The yellow alert signal may be transmitted by the control device 90 to alert the operator and surrounding workers when an abnormality occurs in the machine 10. The blue alert signal may be transmitted by the control device 90 when there is no abnormality in the machine 10 and it is operating normally.

The control device 90 is also configured to transmit a monitor signal for displaying the image captured by the camera 82 on an external tablet 102. Specifically, the monitor signal is transmitted from the control device 90 to the tablet 102 via the communication device 88. The tablet 102 receives the monitor signal and displays the entire image captured by the camera 82. The images captured by the front camera, the rear camera 82b, and the pair of side cameras 82c can be displayed simultaneously by dividing the screen of the tablet 102. The images captured by the camera 82 may be transmitted via the control device 90 to a monitor (not shown) in a management office located away from the construction site. The monitor in the management office can also communicate with the control device 90 in both directions.

<Notification light>
As shown in FIG. 1, the notification lamp 92 is attached to the vehicle body 10 and configured to notify a predetermined color based on a notification signal transmitted by the control device 90. Specifically, the notification lamp 92 includes a pair of side notification lamps 92d installed on the pair of front lateral hood parts 84b. The pair of side notification lamps 92d may be disposed above the pair of side cameras 82c, or may be disposed below the pair of side cameras 82c. For example, the pair of side notification lamps 92d may be disposed diagonally below the pair of side cameras 82c. The notification lamp 92 may also include a pair of front notification lamps attached to the front of the rear vehicle body 40 across the front camera, and a pair of rear notification lamps attached to the rear of the rear vehicle body 40 across the rear camera 82b. The pair of front notification lamps are disposed below the front camera on both the left and right sides of the front camera. The pair of rear notification lamps are disposed below the rear camera 82b on both the left and right sides of the rear camera 82b. The warning lamps 92 may include one front warning lamp and one rear warning lamp, and the number of warning lamps is not particularly limited. The pair of front warning lamps, the pair of rear warning lamps, and the pair of side warning lamps 92d are configured to warn by flashing or lighting a color (blue, yellow, red) corresponding to the warning signal transmitted by the control device 90.

<LED display>
As shown in Fig. 1, the LED display 96 is disposed on each side (both left and right side) of the control device housing 60, above the operation panel 86. As shown in Fig. 8, the LED display 96 is provided with a symbol display section 96a on the left side, a character display section 96b in the center, and an alarm light interlocking section 96c on the right side, and displays the status of the rolling machine 1 with colors, characters, and symbols. Note that the arrangement order of the symbol display section 96a, character display section 96b, and alarm light interlocking section 96c on the LED display 96 is one example, and is not limited thereto.

The symbol display section 96a uses symbols to display the state of the rolling machine 1, such as the parking brake being activated/deactivated, the engine being stopped, or a malfunction of the machine body 10. Figure 8 shows an example of a symbol indicating that some kind of malfunction has occurred in the machine body 10. In this case, the operator or nearby workers can grasp the specific details of the malfunction by operating the VDC switch 86b on the operation panel 86 and visually checking the operation panel monitor 86a.

The character display section 96b displays the state of the rolling machine 1 in characters, such as manual operation mode, remote operation mode, autonomous operation mode, failure mode, and end mode. The manual operation mode means a state in which an operator or a nearby worker operates the operation panel 86, the remote operation mode means a state in which the rolling machine 1 is operated by a wireless remote control 100 described later, the autonomous operation mode means a state in which the rolling machine 1 automatically operates along a previously prepared travel plan line, the failure mode means a state in which there is an abnormality in the rolling machine 1, and the end mode means a state in which the engine is turned off. Figure 8 shows the English notation of the remote operation modes. Note that each of these modes is an example, and can be added or modified as appropriate, and may be written in either Japanese or English.

The notification light interlocking unit 96c is interlocked with the notification light 92 to display the same color as the color notified by the notification light 92. In other words, the notification light interlocking unit 96c is configured to notify by flashing or lighting the color (blue, yellow, red) corresponding to the notification signal transmitted by the control device 90. The notification light interlocking unit 96c may display a color in a manner different from that of the notification light 92. In other words, the lighting or flashing of the notification light interlocking unit 96c may or may not be linked to the lighting or flashing of the notification light 92. In this way, the notification light 92 and the notification light interlocking unit 96c of the LED display 96 are interlocked to display the same color, so that the state of the rolling machine 1 is displayed in four directions, front, back, left, and right, and the state of the rolling machine 1 can be reliably grasped regardless of the working position of the operator and surrounding workers. This improves the safety of the operator and surrounding workers involved in the work of the rolling machine 1.

<Lighting equipment>
1, the lighting fixtures 94 are attached below each of the pair of side cameras 82c on the sides of the rear body 40 and are configured to illuminate the road surface. More specifically, each of the pair of side cameras 82c and each of the lighting fixtures 94 are attached to a pair of front lateral hood parts 84b and arranged to be aligned with each other in the up-down direction. In other words, the side cameras 82c and the lighting fixtures 94 are arranged in a straight line with each other in the up-down vertical direction, with the side cameras 82c located above and the lighting fixtures 94 located below.

<Wireless remote control>
As shown in Fig. 5, the wireless remote control 100 is connected to the control device 90 via the communication device 88 so as to be capable of two-way communication, and is held by the operator of the rolling machine 1. The wireless remote control 100 is capable of communicating with the control device 90 of the rolling machine 1 by operating a wireless permission switch 86g installed on the operation panel 86. By operating the wireless remote control 100, it is possible to remotely control the rolling machine 1, which does not have a driver's cab, and for example, the rolling machine 1 can be safely moved from a storage location of the rolling machine 1 to a construction site. In addition, at the construction site, the rolling work can be performed by the wireless remote control 100 as appropriate, such as in small areas where it is difficult to perform rolling work by autonomous operation of the rolling machine 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, the operation signal transmitted from the wireless remote control 100 is received by the control device 90 via the communication device 88. The control device 90 then converts the operation signal into a predetermined output signal and transmits it to each output target (e.g., the traveling actuator 118, etc.). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the wireless remote control 100 includes a first joystick 100a, a second joystick 100b, a driving mode changeover switch 100c, an emergency stop switch 100d, a parking brake switch 100e, an engine speed selection switch 100f, a traveling speed determination switch 100g, and a vibration amplitude determination switch 100h.

The first joystick 100a is operated left and right based on its neutral position to steer the front body 30 relative to the rear body 40. In addition, the horn 122 can be operated by pressing down the first joystick 100a. The second joystick 100b is operated forward and backward based on its neutral position to move the rolling machine 1 forward and backward. In addition, the vibration actuator 120 can be operated by pressing down the second joystick 100b.

The operation mode changeover switch 100c is operated left or right based on its neutral position to switch between the autonomous operation mode of the rolling machine 1, the remote operation mode using the wireless remote control 100, and the manual operation mode of the rolling machine 1. For example, the operation mode changeover switch 100c is configured to switch to the autonomous operation mode when operated to the left, to switch to the remote operation mode when operated to the right, and to switch to the manual operation mode when in the neutral position. When switching to the autonomous operation mode using the wireless remote control 100, it is first necessary to operate the wireless permission switch 86g on the operation panel 86, which prevents hacking by malicious third parties.

The emergency stop switch 100d is a push button switch that forcibly stops the engine via the wireless remote control 100. The parking brake switch 100e switches between activation and deactivation of the parking brake of the rolling machine 1 by operating it forwards and backwards based on its neutral position. For example, operating the parking brake switch 100e forward activates the parking brake, and operating the parking brake switch 100e backward releases the parking brake. The operation state of the parking brake switch 100e is displayed on the symbol display section 96a of the LED display 96. The engine speed selection switch 100f sets the engine speed of the rolling machine 1 to a predetermined value by operating it forwards and backwards based on its neutral position. For example, operating the engine speed selection switch 100f forward sets the engine speed to a certain value (e.g., 1800 rpm), and operating the engine speed selection switch 100f backward sets the engine speed to another value (e.g., 1000 rpm). The magnitude and number of rotation speeds that can be set by the engine speed selection switch 100f can be changed as needed. The travel speed determination switch 100g is a dial-type stepless switch, and for example, the maximum travel speed of the rolling machine 1 is set by rotating it clockwise based on the start position. The vibration amplitude determination switch 100h is a switch that can be operated in two stages, and for example, the amplitude of the vibration actuator 120 is set to be small by operating it one stage forward based on the start position, and the amplitude of the vibration actuator 120 is set to be large by operating it another stage forward. The amplitude of the vibration actuator 120 is pre-stored in the control device 90, and the specific amplitude can be changed as needed.

Next, each operation mode of the rolling machine 1 will be described.
<Manual operation mode>
The manual operation mode means a state in which the operator of the rolling machine 1 or a worker nearby operates the operation panel 86. The manual operation mode is mainly selected when starting up the rolling machine 1 or when performing maintenance, and in the manual operation mode, the rolling machine 1 cannot be operated via the wireless remote control 100. For example, when starting up the rolling machine 1, the operator operates the key switch 86d of the operation panel 86 to turn the main power ON and press the horn switch 86c. After that, the engine is started by rotating the key switch 86d to the engine start position while pressing the start switch 86f. After the engine is started, the operator presses the wireless permission switch 86g to permit remote operation of the rolling machine 1 via the wireless remote control 100. Also, when performing maintenance on the rolling machine 1, the operator or a worker nearby can operate the fan reverse switch 86h to blow away dirt stuck in the radiator. Furthermore, by operating the SCR regeneration switch 86i, the PM (particulate matter) trapped in the SCR (selective catalytic reduction) can be burned off.

<Unmanned operation control: Remote operation mode>
The remote operation mode means a state in which the rolling machine 1 is operated by the wireless remote control 100. The operator can select the remote operation mode by the wireless remote control 100 by operating the operation mode changeover switch 100c of the wireless remote control 100. In the remote operation mode, the control device 90 is configured to receive target steering angle information of the front body 30 and target drive information of the tires 24 from the wireless remote control 100 via the communication device 88, and to operate the steering actuator 116 based on the target steering information and to operate the traveling actuator 118 based on the target drive information. Here, the target steering angle information is transmitted to the control device 90 in response to the amount of operation of the first joystick 100a of the wireless remote control 100, and is information that determines the steering angle of the front body 30. The control device 90 operates the steering actuator 116 to steer the front body 30 relative to the rear body 40 based on the target steering information received from the wireless remote control 100. The target drive information is transmitted to the control device 90 in response to the amount of operation of the second joystick 100b of the wireless remote control 100, and is information for determining the rotation speed and direction of rotation of the tire 24. Based on the target drive information received from the wireless remote control 100, the control device 90 operates the travel actuator 118 to drive the tire 24 in a predetermined direction at a predetermined number of rotations.

In the remote operation mode, the control device 90 receives an emergency stop signal according to the operation of the emergency stop switch 100d, and forcibly stops the engine based on the emergency stop signal. The control device 90 also receives a parking brake signal according to the operation position of the parking brake switch 100e, and activates/releases the parking brake of the rolling machine 1 based on the parking brake signal. The control device 90 also receives an engine speed signal according to the operation position of the engine speed selection switch 100f, and sets the engine speed of the rolling machine 1 to a predetermined value based on the engine speed signal. The control device 90 also receives a maximum running speed signal according to the operation amount of the running speed determination switch 100g, and sets the maximum running speed of the rolling machine 1 based on the maximum running speed signal. In this case, the control device 90 controls the operation of the engine, hydraulic pump, and running actuator 118 so that the running speed of the rolling machine 1 does not exceed the set maximum running speed. Furthermore, the control device 90 receives a vibration amplitude signal according to the operation position of the vibration amplitude determination switch 100h, and vibrates the vibration actuator 120 at a predetermined amplitude based on the vibration amplitude signal.

<Unmanned driving control: Autonomous driving mode>
The autonomous operation mode means a state in which the rolling machine 1 automatically operates along a travel plan line prepared in advance. In the autonomous operation mode, the rolling machine 1 performs rolling work based on, for example, travel plan line information, rolling area information, and rolling condition information. The travel plan line information includes coordinates for identifying the rolling road, the width of the rolling road, etc. The rolling area information includes the number of rolling areas, coordinates for identifying each rolling area, etc. For example, in the case of a rectangular rolling area, the coordinates of the four corners of the rolling area are given as coordinates for identifying each rolling area. The rolling condition information includes the vibration amplitude of the rolling wheel 22, the number of times each rolling road is rolled, the coordinates of the entry point into the rolling area, and the coordinates of the exit point from the rolling area. The travel plan line information, the rolling area information, and the rolling condition information may be stored in advance in the control device 90 of the rolling machine 1, or may be stored in a host computer or the like located away from the construction site.

The operator can select the autonomous operation mode of the compaction machine 1 by operating the operation mode changeover switch 100c of the wireless remote control 100. This allows the operator to start autonomous operation at a position away from the machine body 10, and makes it possible to avoid contact between the compaction machine 1 and the operator even if the compaction machine 1 moves suddenly. A flowchart in the autonomous operation mode is shown in Figure 10. This flowchart shows the processing performed by the control device 90 repeatedly from when the operator turns on the engine of the compaction machine 1, performs the specified construction work, until the engine of the compaction machine 1 is turned off.

First, the control device 90 acquires the positioning signal Gf output by the front GNSS antenna 98a in the second position measurement unit 90a, acquires the positioning signal Gr output by the rear GNSS antenna 98b in the first position measurement unit 90b, and acquires the shift lever position signal SP output by the shift lever position sensor 99 in the forward/reverse state acquisition unit 90c (S500).

Next, the control device 90 calculates the position coordinates (first position Pr: rear position coordinates) of the rear GNSS antenna 98b in the first position measurement unit 90b based on the acquired positioning signal Gr, and outputs the position coordinates as the rear position Pr (S510).

Next, the control device 90 calculates the position coordinates of the front GNSS antenna 98a (second position Pf: front position coordinates) based on the acquired positioning signal Gf in the second position measurement unit 90a, and outputs the position coordinates as the front position Pf (S520).

Next, the control device 90 determines the forward/reverse state of the vehicle 10 based on the acquired shift lever position signal SP in the forward/reverse state acquisition unit 90c, and outputs the result as the forward/reverse state SS (S530).

Next, the control device 90 calculates the direction component of the vector from the rear position coordinates to the front position coordinates based on the rear position Pr obtained from the first position measurement unit 90b and the front position Pf obtained from the second position measurement unit 90a in the traveling direction calculation unit 90e, and outputs this direction component as the traveling direction VD (S540).

Next, the control device 90 determines in the travel direction reversing unit 90f whether the forward/reverse state SS acquired from the forward/reverse state acquisition unit 90c is a reverse state (S550).

When the travel direction reversing unit 90f determines that the forward/reverse state SS indicates that the vehicle 10 is moving forward (No in S550), the travel direction reversing unit 90f outputs the travel direction VD acquired from the travel direction calculation unit 90e as the travel direction VD' of the vehicle 10 (S551). On the other hand, when the travel direction reversing unit 90f determines that the forward/reverse state SS indicates that the vehicle 10 is moving backward (Yes in S550), the travel direction reversing unit 90f outputs the directional component obtained by inverting the travel direction VD acquired from the travel direction calculation unit 90e as the travel direction VD' of the vehicle 10 (S552).

Next, the control device 90 calculates the control signal CS necessary for the autonomous operation control of the rolling machine 1 in the automatic travel control unit 90g based on the traveling direction VD' acquired from the traveling direction reversing unit 90f, and outputs it to the control valve 115 (S560). Specifically, the automatic travel control unit 90g acquires the rear position Pr from the first position measuring unit 90b and the front position Pf from the second position measuring unit 90a, and calculates the current position of the machine body 10 based on at least one of the front position coordinates and the rear position coordinates. In addition, the automatic travel control unit 90g compares the traveling plan line information of the machine body 10 acquired from the traveling plan storage unit 90d with the above-mentioned current position to calculate the corrected position of the machine body 10. In addition, the automatic travel control unit 90g compares the above-mentioned corrected position with the traveling direction VD' acquired from the traveling direction reversing unit 90f to calculate the corrected traveling direction relative to the traveling direction VD'. Furthermore, the automatic driving control unit 90g calculates the control signal CS required to operate the steering actuator 116 and the driving actuator 118 based on the above correction direction and forward/reverse state SS, and outputs the control signal CS to the control valve 115.

Then, the control device 90 judges whether the engine of the rolling machine 1 is ON or not (S570). As a result, if it is judged that the engine is ON (Yes in S570), the process proceeds to step S500 and the above-mentioned process is repeated, and if it is judged that the engine is not ON (No in S570), the process ends (END).

In addition, in the autonomous driving mode, the control device 90 may calculate the distance between the obstacle and the rolling machine 1 based on the distance information received from the obstacle detection sensor 80, and may operate the steering actuator 116 and the traveling actuator 118 based on the calculation result. This makes it possible to execute the autonomous driving mode while avoiding contact with the obstacle. The control device 90 may also calculate the current traveling speed of the rolling machine 1 based on the speed information received from the speed detection sensor, and may operate the traveling actuator 118 based on the calculation result. This makes it possible to cause the rolling machine 1 to travel at a constant speed according to the rolling condition information. Furthermore, the control device 90 may operate the vibration actuator 120 to vibrate the rolling wheel 22 in response to the vibration amplitude information of the rolling condition information.

<Site safety control>
The site safety control is a control implemented using the notification light 92, the LED display 96, and the tablet 102 in order to improve the safety of the operator of the compaction machine 1 and surrounding workers. The site safety control is executed together with the implementation of the autonomous operation mode and the remote operation mode described above. In the site safety control, the operator and surrounding workers can visually check obstacles and the like photographed by the camera 82 via the tablet 102 at hand. In addition, in this control, the notification light 92 and the notification light interlocking part 96c of the LED display 96 are interlocked and display the same color, so that the state of the compaction machine 1 is displayed in four directions, front, back, left, and right, and the state of the compaction machine 1 can be reliably grasped regardless of the working position of the operator and surrounding workers. Therefore, in the unmanned operation control of the compaction machine 1, the safety of the operator and surrounding workers involved in the work of the compaction machine 1 can be improved.

Next, we will explain the operation and effects of the rolling machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

According to the rolling machine 1 of the present invention, a control device is provided that includes a front GNSS antenna 98a configured to detect the front position coordinates of the front body 30, a rear GNSS antenna 98b configured to detect the rear position coordinates of the rear body 40, and a traveling direction calculation unit 90e that calculates the directional component of a vector from the rear position coordinates to the front position coordinates based on the front position coordinates and the rear position coordinates, and outputs the directional component as the traveling direction VD. In this way, since the traveling direction VD of the body 10 is calculated based on the front position coordinates and the rear position coordinates, even if, for example, the rolling wheel 22 or the tire 24 slips during the operation of the rolling machine 1, the control device 90 can accurately grasp the orientation of the body 10 based on the traveling direction VD in accordance with the actual situation. Therefore, even when the rolling machine 1 is automatically driven (for example, autonomous driving), the difference between the traveling direction of the body 10 grasped by the control device 90 and the actual traveling direction of the body 10 is small, and the traveling control (for example, steering control) of the body 10 can be performed with high accuracy. As a result, it is possible to provide a compaction machine 1 that improves construction quality.

In addition, according to the rolling machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the control device 90 includes a direction reversing unit 90f configured to output the traveling direction VD as the traveling direction VD' of the machine body 10 when the forward/reverse state acquisition unit 90c determines that the machine body 10 is in a forward state, and to output a direction component obtained by inverting the traveling direction information VD as the traveling direction' of the machine body 10 when the forward/reverse state acquisition unit 90c determines that the machine body 10 is in a reverse state. In this way, since the traveling direction VD' of the machine body 10 is calculated by the traveling direction reversing unit 90f, the control device 90 can accurately grasp the orientation of the machine body 10 based on the traveling direction VD' according to the actual situation, regardless of whether the rolling machine 1 is moving forward or backward. Therefore, even when the rolling machine 1 is operated automatically (e.g., autonomous driving), the difference between the traveling direction of the machine body 10 as determined by the control device 90 and the actual traveling direction of the machine body 10 is small, and traveling control (e.g., steering control) of the machine body 10 can be performed with high accuracy regardless of whether the rolling machine 1 is moving forward or backward. As a result, it is possible to provide a rolling machine 1 that improves construction quality.

In addition, according to the rolling machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the control device 90 includes an automatic driving control unit 90g configured to calculate the current position of the vehicle 10 based on at least one of the front position coordinates and the rear position coordinates, calculate the corrected position of the vehicle 10 by comparing the driving plan line information of the vehicle 10 with the current position, calculate the corrected traveling direction for the traveling direction VD' by comparing the corrected position with the traveling direction VD', and operate the steering actuator 116 while operating the traveling actuator 118 based on the corrected traveling direction. In this way, in the rolling machine 1 that is autonomously operated, even if, for example, the rolling wheel 22 or the tire 24 slips, the control device 90 can accurately grasp the orientation of the vehicle 10 based on the traveling direction VD' in accordance with the actual situation. Therefore, the autonomous operation of the rolling machine 1 can be realized in a state where the difference between the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 grasped by the control device 90 and the actual traveling direction of the vehicle 10 is smaller. Therefore, it is possible to perform highly accurate travel control (e.g., steering control) of the machine body 10 during autonomous operation, and it is possible to provide a rolling machine 1 that improves construction quality through autonomous operation.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the rolling machine 1 according to the above embodiment, but includes all aspects included in the concept of the present invention and the scope of the claims. In addition, each configuration may be appropriately and selectively combined to achieve the above-mentioned problems and effects. For example, the shape, material, arrangement, size, etc. of each component in the above embodiment may be appropriately changed depending on the specific aspect of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, a rolling machine 1 (earthwork vibrating roller) has been described as an example of a construction machine, but examples of construction machines are not limited to this. The construction machine may be, for example, another rolling machine equipped with an articulating mechanism, a wheel loader, a motor grader, a dump truck, etc.

In the above embodiment, the rolling machine 1 is described as a type that does not have a driver's cab (cabin), but the rolling machine may be a manned type that has a driver's cab. Specifically, the control device 90 according to the above embodiment can be applied to a rolling management system mounted on a manned rolling machine that has a driver's cab. In the rolling management system, for example, the travel trajectory of the rolling machine itself can be accurately grasped based on the travel direction VD calculated by the travel direction calculation unit 90e and the travel direction VD' calculated by the travel direction reversal unit 90f, and thus it is possible to more accurately calculate how many times the rolling road has been compacted. In this case, the control device 90 transmits the travel direction VD and the travel direction VD' to a monitor in the management office via a communication device.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which a GNSS antenna 98 is used to acquire position information of the rolling machine 1, but a positioning system such as a total station may also be used as a means for acquiring position information of the rolling machine 1.

1 rolling machine 10 machine body 15 connecting mechanism 22 rolling wheel (front wheel)
24 Tires (rear wheels)
30 Front vehicle body 40 Rear vehicle body 90 Control device 90a Second position measurement unit 90b First position measurement unit 90c Forward/reverse state acquisition unit 90e Travel direction calculation unit 90f Travel direction reversal unit 90g Automatic driving control unit 98a Front GNSS antenna (first position measurement device)
98b Rear GNSS antenna (second position measuring device)
99 Shift lever position sensor (forward/reverse detection sensor)
116 steering actuator 118 travel actuator

Claims (3)

A body including a front body and a rear body;
A front wheel rotatably attached to the front body;
A rear wheel rotatably attached to the rear body;
a connecting mechanism that connects the front body and the rear body in an articulated manner , the connecting mechanism enabling the front body to be steered relative to the rear body ,
a first position measurement device attached to the front body and configured to detect a front position coordinate of the front body;
a second position measurement device attached to the rear body on a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction through a widthwise center of the body and configured to detect a rear position coordinate of the rear body;
a control device including a traveling direction calculation unit that calculates a directional component of a vector directed from the rear position coordinates to the front position coordinates based on the front position coordinates and the rear position coordinates, and outputs the directional component as a traveling direction relative to the longitudinal axis . A forward/reverse motion detection sensor is further provided, the forward/reverse motion detection sensor being attached to the aircraft and detecting forward/reverse motion information of the aircraft;
The control device includes:
a forward/reverse travel state acquisition unit that determines a forward/reverse travel state of the aircraft based on the forward/reverse travel information;
2. The construction machine according to claim 1, further comprising a travel direction reversing unit configured to output the travel direction as the travel direction of the machine when the forward/reverse travel state acquisition unit determines that the machine is in a forward travel state, and to output a directional component that is the reverse of the travel direction as the travel direction of the machine when the forward/reverse travel state acquisition unit determines that the machine is in a reverse travel state. A steering actuator attached to the airframe and configured to steer the front airframe relative to the rear airframe;
a travel actuator attached to the vehicle body and configured to drive the rear wheels;
The construction machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the control device includes an automatic driving control unit configured to calculate a current position of the machine based on at least one of the front position coordinates and the rear position coordinates, calculate a corrected position of the machine by comparing driving plan line information of the machine with the current position, compare the corrected position with the traveling direction to calculate a corrected traveling direction relative to the traveling direction, and operate the steering actuator while operating the traveling actuator based on the corrected traveling direction.

Images