The invention relates to a device for controlling and/or configuring construction machines, whose electronic control device can be reconfigured and/or extended by installing a program packet, comprising a central server for providing and/or downloading different program packets, wherein the central server has access to an internal machine data database in which different machine data sets are stored, wherein the central server is designed as an open server platform with different interfaces to different external host servers, wherein a communications module activates an interface to an external machine data database and/or to an external host server according to a construction machine and/or program packet request and according to the machine data sets in the internal machine data database, and wherein the external machine data database that is separate from the central server is designed to provide a program packet of an external host server according to an authorization of the external host server.

A vehicle grade control system and method of controlling an implement position of a motor grader moving along a path of a surface. The motor grader includes a frame supported by wheels and an implement adjustably coupled to the frame. The control system includes a processor and a memory configured to receive a grade target to grade the surface to a desired grade with the implement based on the grade target. Surface irregularities of the surface in a path of the motor grader are located. An angle of the frame is determined based on the located surface irregularities and a difference between the identified angle of the frame and the grade target is determined. A position of the implement with respect to the frame based on the determined difference is identified and the surface is graded with the identified position of the implement.

A shovel includes a traveling lower body; a revolving upper body installed on the traveling lower body, to be capable of revolving; an attachment attached to the revolving upper body; an end attachment constituting the attachment; an actuator; and a control device including a memory and a processor configured to cause the actuator to operate autonomously. The control device calculates a control value of the actuator for each of a plurality of predetermined points on the end attachment, and based on the calculated control values, causes the actuator to operate autonomously.

A shovel includes a lower traveling body, an upper turning body turnably mounted on the lower traveling body, an attachment attached to the upper turning body, and a controller provided to the upper turning body. The controller is configured to set a predetermined condition on movement of the lower traveling body, and provide information on stopping the movement of the lower traveling body upon determining that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

A shovel includes a lower traveling body, an upper turning body turnably mounted on the lower traveling body, an attachment attached to the upper turning body, an attachment actuator configured to move the attachment, and processing circuitry configured to assist an operator so that a level difference between two adjacent finished surfaces becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value.

A construction machine includes processing circuitry and a transmitter. The processing circuitry is configured to obtain information on a work area in an area surrounding the construction machine. The transmitter is configured to transmit the information obtained by the processing circuitry to another construction machine in the area surrounding the construction machine.

A work machine, a first method of defining a virtual 3D exclusion zone, and a second method of preventing collisions involving a work machine are disclosed. The work machine comprises a body, an implement arm, an imaging assembly, and an electrohydraulic assembly configured to prevent the implement arm from intersecting a 3D exclusion zone. The first method comprises scanning a local environment, generating a virtual 3D representation, identifying key structures, and generating a virtual 3D exclusion zone encompassing the key structures. The second method comprises defining a virtual 3D exclusion zone, monitoring a motion of the work machine, and adjusting the motion to avoid an intersection between the work machine and the 3D exclusion zone. The 3D exclusion zone may be implemented for a number of machines, environments, and key structures without unduly removing control from a human operator.

A mining shovel with compositional sensors comprises a bucket having various inward looking sensors positioned throughout the bucket. The bucket can also have disposed thereon a control enclosure that houses processing equipment that receives and analyzes the data collected by the inward looking sensors. The mining shovel with compositional sensors can be used as part of a system to manage a mining field, including generating and transmitting instructions directing where to deposit material located in the bucket based on the data collected from the inward looking sensors positioned in the bucket.

A heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus for a piece of heavy equipment at a site and a system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus, the location of the heavy equipment is monitored by the heavy equipment warning apparatus and analyzed with reference to a hazard safety site plan of the site that identifies a hazard such as existing utilities, for example. An alert notification is initialized in response to the heavy equipment encroaching on a hazard geofence around the hazard. A shutdown notification is initialized in response to the heavy equipment being proximate to the hazard.

A construction management system includes: a current topography data acquisition unit configured to acquire current topography data indicating a current topography of a construction site; a design topography data acquisition unit configured to acquire design topography data indicating a design topography of the construction site; a construction plan data calculation unit configured to calculate construction plan data including earth cutting plan data and earth banking plan data by collating the current topography data with the design topography data; and a construction plan data output unit configured to output the construction plan data to an output device. The construction plan data output unit causes an output device to output at least two of the design topography data, the cutting plan data, and the banking plan data in parallel.