A method for controlling a materials handling and/or construction machine, such as a crane or cable excavator, wherein different control functions are selected on a screen of a controller with a touchscreen function by touching a control function symbol, and respective functional parameters of the selected control function are set. A working region boundary of a working region delimiting function for automatically deactivating and/or slowing down at least one actuator is displayed on the screen together with a display of the materials handling and/or construction machine and/or the work surroundings in the form of a touchscreen display element when the working region boundary is reached and is adjusted by touching and moving the working region boundary on the screen relative to the display of the materials handling and/or construction machine and/or the work surroundings thereof.

A method for automatic control of a crane having a boom operating in a working circular area and at least one collision avoidance system detecting a risk of collision on a right side and a left side of the boom. The automatic control method, during a boom automatic and autonomous orientation step, serves to orient the boom according to an orientation direction, which is opposite to the side of the boom for which the risk of collision is detected, from a starting angular position, where the risk of collision with an obstacle has been detected, up to a first angular position for which the risk of collision is no longer detected, without the crane having need to communicate with an external system.

A method for controlling a crane having a boom operating in a circular work area and at least one anti-collision system detecting a risk of collision on a right side and a left side of the boom may be used to direct the boom from a starting angular sector, where a risk of collision with an obstacle has been detected, towards a final angular sector where a risk of interference is low or even zero, based on an interference mapping segmenting the circular work area into several angular sectors and associating with each of them an interference counter value representative of a level of risk of interference. The values may evolve in real time according to the orientations of the boom and collision risk detections.

A crane anti-collision system, containing: a scanning apparatus installed in the crane, containing a laser scanner arranged to measure the optical distance to targets from the crane in the first direction of travel; and a detection apparatus arranged to automatically detect targets by the scanning apparatus. The detection apparatus is arranged for: defining by the scanning apparatus a three-dimensional reference zone of the goods handling area that is composed of the surface and vertical tolerance of the goods handling area; and detecting a target in the goods handling area on the basis that the height defined by the scanning apparatus differs from that of said reference zone. Further described is a control system, an anti-collision method, an anti-collision program, and a manufacturing method for an anti-collision system.

The present disclosure relates to a method for real time monitoring of the current status of a construction site having one or more work machines, wherein a monitoring means installed at least one work machine monitors the environment of the work machine in real time and generates corresponding monitoring data, with the generated monitoring data being transmitted by the monitoring means to at least one processing unit for a real time evaluation of the current construction site status.

A crane vehicle capable of preventing another vehicle from coming into contact with a tip end portion of a boom when entering an intersection includes a controller that detects an obstacle on a lateral side of a tip end portion of a boom by using left and right cameras when the vehicle enters an intersection or the like. When it is determined that a detected obstacle may come into contact with the tip end portion of the boom, the controller drives a brake device to stop a crane vehicle, and causes a speaker to output a warning sound. When it is determined that there is no risk of contact with the boom as the detected obstacle stops, or moves away from the crane vehicle by turning left or right, or passing an intersection, the controller releases the driving of the brake device to enable travelling of the crane vehicle.

In a method for preventing a collision of a load of a crane with an obstacle, a height profile of the obstacle is captured along a trajectory of movement of the load by at least two sensors for distance measurement. Signals of the sensors are transmitted via at least two communication channels to a controller having at least two operating systems. At least one of the operating systems has a safety program in a secure area. The obstacle is identified along the trajectory via the height profile. The controller includes a secure communications interface for transmitting signals from the controller to a crane control.

A safety system (2) for a working vehicle (4) comprising a working equipment (6), e.g. a crane or a working tool, the safety system (2) comprises a control unit (8), a controller (10), e.g. a remote controller, configured to control said working equipment (6), and a display unit (12). The control unit is configured to: define a set of three-dimensional safety spaces (14) in relation to the vehicle (4), present at least one safety space (14) from said set of safety spaces on said display unit (12), wherein said at least one safety space being presented overlaid on an image (18) of at least a part of the working vehicle (4) and working equipment (6), receive a first input signal (20) comprising space position parameters representing at least one chosen safety space among the presented safety spaces, and to designate each at least one chosen safety space as an active safety space (14A), and to receive a second input signal (22) comprising a safety space state command either allowing or preventing said working equipment to be moved into said at least one active safety space (14A), and to apply a state command signal (24) to said controller (10) to control said working equipment (6) in dependence of said safety space state command.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a system that uses images of a load handled by a crane as captured by cameras to monitor the load. The images may include different sets of outer perimeters of the load. The system may identify the outer perimeters and then define a safety zone that extends beyond these outer perimeters. In response to identifying an object within the safety zone, the system may execute a remedial action.

A method for moving a load with a crane in a collision-free manner in a space having at least one obstacle includes providing a position of the obstacle, providing at least one safe state variable of the load, determining from the safe state variable a safety zone surrounding the load, and dynamically monitoring the safety zone in relation to the position of the obstacle.