Autonomous work excavator and operation method thereof

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to an autonomous work excavator and an operation method therefor. According to an embodiment, an excavator comprises a front work device including an arm, a boom, and a bucket; a sensor device configured to collect state information of the excavator and information related to the surrounding environment; and a processor electrically connected to the front work device and the sensor device. The processor is configured to perform a digging operation based on a work instruction such that soil is loaded in the bucket; calculate a zero-moment point of a force acting on the excavator based on mass information on at least a portion of the front work device after the digging operation has been performed; and obtain a work trajectory for processing the soil loaded in the bucket by using the ZMP and the information related to surrounding environment.

1 . An excavator comprising:
 a front work device including an arm, a boom, and a bucket;   a sensor device configured to collect state information of the excavator and information related to surrounding environment; and   a processor electrically connected to the front work device and the sensor device,   wherein the processor is configured to:   perform a digging operation such that soil is loaded in the bucket based on a work instruction;   calculate a zero-moment point (ZMP) of a force acting on the excavator based on mass information on at least a portion of the front work device after the digging operation has been performed; and   obtain a work trajectory for processing the soil loaded in the bucket by using the ZMP and the information related to surrounding environment.   
     
     
         2 . The excavator of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 obtain a rotation trajectory for at least a portion of the front work device based on the state information of the excavator and the information related to surrounding environment;   obtain the work trajectory using the rotation trajectory and the ZMP; and   perform a rotation operation of moving the bucket from a digging point to a vicinity of a loading container according to the work trajectory.   
     
     
         3 . The excavator of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to obtain the work trajectory to follow the rotation trajectory in a minimum time. 
     
     
         4 . The excavator of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 obtain a dumping position where a tip of the bucket is to be located based on the state information of the excavator and the information related to surrounding environment;   obtain a dumping trajectory for at least a portion of the front work device such that the soil is loaded at the dumping position;   obtain the dumping trajectory using the rotation trajectory and the ZMP; and   perform a dumping operation of loading the soil stored in the bucket into a loading container according to the work trajectory.   
     
     
         5 . The excavator of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to obtain the work trajectory to follow the dumping trajectory in a minimum time. 
     
     
         6 . The excavator of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to control at least a portion of the front working device such that a position of the tip of the bucket is maintained at the dumping position while the dumping operation is performed. 
     
     
         7 . The excavator of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to obtain the dumping position based on a state of the soil loaded in the loading container. 
     
     
         8 . The excavator of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 process the soil based on the work trajectory;   monitor a collision between the at least a portion of the front work device and an obstacle based on the state information of the excavator and the information related to surrounding environment while the soil is being processed; and   update the work trajectory when a collision between the at least a portion of the front work device and the obstacle is detected.   
     
     
         9 . The excavator of  claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 obtain a repulsion force and a contraction force for a portion of the work trajectory where the collision with an obstacle occurs;   obtain a collision avoidance point based on the repulsion force and the contraction force; and   update the work trajectory based on the collision avoidance point.   
     
     
         10 . The excavator of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 obtaining a return trajectory for the front work device based on the state information of the excavator and the information related to surrounding environment;   recalculate a ZMP (Zero-moment Point) of the force acting on the excavator based on the mass information of the at least a portion of the front work device;   obtain the work trajectory using the return trajectory and the recalculated ZMP; and   perform a return operation of returning the bucket to a digging point according to the work trajectory.   
     
     
         11 . The excavator of  claim 1 , wherein the mass information includes weight measurement information of the bucket. 
     
     
         12 . An operation method of an excavator comprising:
 performing a digging operation based on a work instruction;   calculating a zero-moment point (ZMP) of a force acting on the excavator based on mass information on at least a portion of a front work device including an arm, a boom, and a bucket after the digging operation has been performed;   obtaining a work trajectory for processing soil loaded in the bucket using the ZMP; and   performing a rotation operation of moving the bucket from a digging point to a vicinity of a loading container according to the work trajectory.   
     
     
         13 . The excavator of  claim 12 , wherein the obtaining of the work trajectory comprises:
 obtaining a rotation trajectory for at least a portion of the front work device based on the state information of the excavator and the information related to surrounding environment; and   obtaining the work trajectory using the rotation trajectory and the ZMP.   
     
     
         14 . The excavator of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the obtaining of the work trajectory comprises:   obtaining a dumping position where a tip of the bucket is to be located based on the state information of the excavator and the information related to surrounding environment;   obtaining a dumping trajectory for at least a portion of the front work device such that the soil is loaded at the dumping position; and   obtaining the work trajectory using the dumping trajectory and the ZMP; and   wherein the method further comprises:   performing a dumping operation of loading the soil stored in the bucket into a loading container according to the work trajectory.   
     
     
         15 . The excavator of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 processing the soil based on the work trajectory;   monitoring a collision between the at least a portion of the front work device and an obstacle based on the state information of the excavator and the information related to surrounding environment while the soil is being processed; and   updating the work trajectory when a collision between the at least a portion of the front work device and the obstacle is detected.   
     
     
         16 . The excavator of  claim 15 , wherein the updating of the work trajectory comprises:
 obtaining a repulsion force and a contraction force for a portion of the work trajectory where the collision with an obstacle;   obtaining a collision avoidance point based on the repulsion force and the contraction force; and   updating the work trajectory based on the collision avoidance point.   
     
     
         17 . The excavator of  claim 12 , wherein the obtaining of the work trajectory comprises:
 obtaining a return trajectory for the front work device based on the state information of the excavator and the information related to surrounding environment; and   obtaining the work trajectory using the return trajectory and the ZMP,   wherein a return operation of returning the bucket to a digging point is performed according to the work trajectory.