Planning Work for a Self-Tracking Excavator Capable of Automatic Field Survey

This paper introduces the sensor equipped backhoe excavator which is capable of tracking its bucket tip with respect to its base and functioning as a mobile survey robot. The new approach for precise position tracking of the... [ view full abstract ]

This paper introduces the sensor equipped backhoe excavator which is capable of tracking its bucket tip with respect to its base and functioning as a mobile survey robot. The new approach for precise position tracking of the excavator's bucket tip can be used to plan the operation trajectory of the excavator's arm to streamline its movement and track its cycle time during the period of its field operation. At the same time, the technique discussed in this paper can be used to make the excavator act as an automatic record keeper when integrated with the time domain. These records can be vital to perform the work progress measurement (as needed in productivity study). Besides presenting the analytical methodology for tracking the excavator's pose, this paper explains the positioning mechanism for the backhoe excavator by a dynamic three-point reference system without the help of any external survey devices. This paper shows how the latest self-tracking machinery can be adopted in the field in a more efficient way in confirming project progress as per engineering design (design grade) on nearly real-time basis. Meanwhile, the needs for extra specialized survey equipment, crews, and remote monitoring would be eliminated all at a time.