A power machine can include operator input devices and a control system configured to command movement of actuators based on operator inputs received from the operator input devices. Movement of one or more of the actuators can be commanded based on input at one or more of the operator input devices and a response curve selected from a plurality of different response curves. Movement of one or more of the actuators can be based on a selected control mode for the power machine that corresponds to a selected control-function mapping of the operator input devices to the one or more actuators. A lift arm can be variously controlled to execute automatic or other operations. An excavator can be operated in a sustained-speed travel mode.

An excavator includes a lower traveling body; an upper turning body mounted on the lower traveling body; an attachment attached to the upper turning body; an attitude detecting device configured to detect an attitude of the attachment including a bucket; and a control device configured to control a toe angle of a toe of the bucket with respect to an excavation ground, based on a transition of the attitude of the attachment, information relating to a present shape of the excavation ground, and an operation content of an operation device relating to the attachment.

A distance calculation unit calculates a bucket distance that is a distance between a point on a bucket and a target design surface representing a target shape of an excavation target. An intervention control unit calculates an intervention control amount to suppress a speed of work equipment such that the bucket does not intrude on the target design surface based on the bucket distance. An attachment control unit calculates an attachment control amount to rotate the bucket around an attachment axis such that an edge of the bucket and the target design surface approach each other in a parallel state. An attachment limiting unit limits rotation of the bucket around the attachment axis such that the bucket distance is not increased by a movement of the work equipment based on the intervention control amount and the attachment control amount.

A machine may include an implement; one or more sensor devices; and a controller. The controller may be configured to receive, from the one or more sensor devices, data regarding a ground surface on which the machine is to perform a digging operation; transmit the data to one or more remote computing devices to cause the one or more remote computing devices to generate digging information based on the data; and receive the digging information from the one or more remote computing devices. The digging information may include information identifying a sequence of digging locations in an area of the ground surface and information identifying corresponding dumping locations. Based on the digging information, the controller may be configured to cause the machine to navigate to a digging location of the digging locations, and cause the implement to initiate the digging operation at the digging location.

A control method of a work machine includes: calculating a maximum flow rate of hydraulic oil discharged from a hydraulic pump; calculating a first target speed of working equipment including a bucket based on an operation amount of an operation device operated for driving a plurality of hydraulic actuators to which the hydraulic oil discharged from the hydraulic pump is supplied to drive the working equipment and a distance between the bucket and a target excavation landform; calculating a second target speed of the working equipment based on the maximum flow rate, and the operation amount of the operation device and the distance between the bucket and the target excavation landform; and outputting a control signal for controlling the hydraulic actuators based on a smaller one of the first target speed and the second target speed.

Autonomous excavator has developed rapidly in recent years because of a shortage of labor and hazardous working environments for operating excavators. Presented herein are embodiments of a novel hierarchical planning system for autonomous machines, such as excavators. In one or more embodiments, the overall planning system comprises a high-level task planner for task division and base movement planning, and general sub-task planners with motion primitives, which include both arm and base movement in the case of an excavator. Using embodiments of the system architecture, experiments were performed for the trench and pile removal tasks in the real world and for the large-scale material loading tasks in a simulation environment. The results show that the system architecture embodiments and planner method embodiments generate effective task and motion plans that perform well in autonomous excavation.

A construction machine that makes it possible for an operator to linearly push a bucket simply by operating an arm in a pushing direction is provided. A controller 50 is configured to, in a case where a straight locus is selected by a bucket locus selecting device 52, calculate a constant flow rate ratio α according to a boom initial angle that is an angle of a boom 2 sensed by a boom angle sensor 33 at a time point when an arm 4 is operated in a pushing direction by an operation device 51, and control the delivery flow rate of a first hydraulic pump 12 such that a hydraulic fluid is discharged from a cap chamber 1a of a boom cylinder 1 at a flow rate Qb obtained by multiplying a flow rate Qa of a flow supplied to a cap chamber 3a of an arm cylinder 3 by the flow rate ratio α while the arm 4 is operated in the pushing direction by the operation device 51 and there is not an instruction for operation of the boom 2.

A property calculation section of the controller calculates a horizontal distance between a boom proximal end portion and an arm distal end portion based on a detection signal input from an attitude detector, calculates a weight of the distal end attachment based on the horizontal distance and a detection signal input from a holding pressure detector in a state where a distal end attachment is disposed at a pressure release position, and calculates a gravity center position of the distal end attachment based on the weight of the distal end attachment, a detection signal input from the holding pressure detector, and a detection signal input from the attitude detector in a state where the distal end attachment is disposed at a displacement position that is a position different from the pressure release position.

Methods for commissioning a construction vehicle for machine control operations are provided. A GNSS receiver configured for determining position information, tilt information, and heading information is coupled to a rigid member of the construction vehicle. The commissioning process provides parameters that can be used for tracking and controlling movement of an implement coupled to the construction vehicle during the machine control operations.

A system and method are provided for evenly distributing the loading of material in a loading container of a transport vehicle (e.g., articulated dump truck) by a work machine (e.g., excavator). At least one sensor mounted on the work machine generates data corresponding to at least a portion of the loading container. The captured data is processed to determine a current profile of material loaded in the loading container, wherein output signals are generated corresponding to a difference between the current profile and a predetermined target profile for the material loaded in the loading container. In certain embodiments, the output signals are used to assist an operator of the work machine with manual loading via an onboard display unit and superposed images associated with the current and/or target profiles. In other embodiments, the output signals automatically control at least part of the loading process.