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EP-4735738-A1 - METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING A SAFE VOLUME AROUND A MACHINE

EP4735738A1EP 4735738 A1EP4735738 A1EP 4735738A1EP-4735738-A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a method, machine (10) and computer program (103) for establishing a safe volume (V) around the machine (10). The machine (10) comprises a body (11) and an arm (12) having a first end (12a) pivotally arranged at the body (11) and a second end (12b), arranged for carrying a tool. The method comprising: - determining the body (11) of the machine (10) as a first volume (V1), - receiving position information of the arm (12) during a movement maneuver outside the first volume (V1), the position information comprising information on a plurality of positions (P1, P2, …Pn) for the arm (12); - determining a safe volume (V) for the arm (12) based on at least one of the plurality of positions (P1, P2, …Pn) during the movement maneuver and based on the first volume (V1), and - allowing the arm (12) to move autonomously within the safe volume (V).

Inventors

  • AMOURI, Mhd Humam
  • GUSTAVSSON, HANS

Assignees

  • Epiroc Rock Drills Aktiebolag

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230628

Claims (14)

  1. 1 . Method for establishing a safe volume (V) around a machine (10) when positioned at a working site, wherein the machine (10) comprises a body (11 ) and an arm (12) having a first end (12a) and an opposite second end (12b), wherein the first end (12a) of the arm (12) is pivotally arranged at the body (11) and the second end (12b) is a free end which is arranged for carrying a tool, the method comprising: - determining the body (11 ) of the machine (10) as a first volume (Vi), - receiving position information of the arm (12) during a movement maneuver of the arm (12) outside the first volume (Vi) in a determined number of directions relative the first volume (Vi), the position information comprising information on a plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... P n ) for the arm (12); - determining a safe volume (V) for the arm (12) based on at least one of the plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn) during the movement maneuver and based on the first volume (Vi), and - allowing the arm (12) to move autonomously within the safe volume (V).
  2. 2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining of the safe volume (V) comprises that the safe volume (V) is limited by the first volume (Vi) and one or more of the plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn) of the arm (12) during the movement maneuver, which one or more positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn) are determined to be positioned farthest away from the first volume (Vi) of the plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn).
  3. 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determining of the safe volume (V) comprises that the safe volume (V) is determined as a six-sided box volume (V), which extends from the first volume (Vi) in a first direction (X, Y, Z, n), wherein the six-sided box volume (V) comprises a first plane (V a ) arranged at an outermost point (Pvi) of the first volume (Vi) in the first direction (X, Y, Z, n), wherein the six-sided box volume (V) extends from the first plane (V a ) to a second plane (Vb), which is a projection plane of the first plane (V a ), arranged parallel with the first plane (V a ) in the first direction (X, Y, Z, n), and which second plane (Vb) is determined to be positioned based on at least one position of the received position information of the arm (12) during the movement maneuver, which at least one position is determined to be positioned farthest away from the first volume (Vi) in the first direction (X, Y, Z, n) relative the first volume (Vi), of the plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn).
  4. 4. Method according to any of claims 1 - 2, wherein the determining of the safe volume (V) comprises that the safe volume (V) is determined as a tent-like volume (V), which extends from the first volume (Vi) in the first direction (X, Y, Z, n), to a projection line (p-p) which extends between two positions of the received plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn) of the arm (12) during the movement maneuver, which two positions are determined to be positioned farthest away from the first volume (Vi) in the first direction (X, Y, Z, n) relative the first volume (Vi), of the plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn).
  5. 5. Method according to any of claims 1 - 2, wherein the determining of the safe volume (V) comprises that the safe volume (V) is determined as a pyramidlike volume (V), which extends from the first volume (Vi) in the first direction (X, Y, Z, n), to an outermost position (P ou t) of the received plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... P n ) of the arm (12) during the movement maneuver, which outermost position (Pout) is determined to be positioned farthest away from the first volume in the first direction (X, Y, Z, n) relative the first volume (Vi) of the plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn).
  6. 6. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the method further comprises: - repeating the step of determining a safe volume (V) in a determined number of directions (X, Y, Z, n) relative the first volume (Vi) until a determined number of safe volumes (V) are determined around the machine (10).
  7. 7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the method is computer-implemented.
  8. 8. A machine (10) for mining operation, which machine (10) comprises a body (11 ) and an arm (12) having a first end (12a) and an opposite second end (12b), wherein the first end (12a) of the arm (12) is pivotally arranged at the body (11 ) and the second end (12b) is a free end which is arranged for carrying a tool, wherein the machine (10) further comprises a processing circuitry (101) and a memory (102), said memory (102) containing instructions executable by said processing circuitry (101 ), whereby the machine (10) is operative for: - determining the body (11 ) of the machine (10) as a first volume (Vi), - receiving position information of the arm (12) during a movement maneuver of the arm (12) outside the first volume (Vi), in a determined number of directions relative the first volume (Vi), the position information comprising information on a plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... P n ) for the arm (12), - determining a safe volume (V) for the arm (12) based on at least one of the plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn) during the movement maneuver and based on the first volume (Vi), and - allowing the arm (12) to move autonomously within the safe volume (V).
  9. 9. Machine (10) according to claim 8, operative for the determining of the safe volume (V) by limiting the safe volume (V) by the first volume (Vi) and one or more of the plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn) of the arm (12) during the movement maneuver, which one or more positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn) are determined to be positioned farthest away from the first volume (Vi) of the plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn).
  10. 10. Machine (10) according to claim 8 or 9, operative for the determining of the safe volume (V) by determining the safe volume (V) as a six-sided box volume (V), which extends from the first volume (Vi) in a first direction (X), wherein the sixsided box volume (V) comprises a first plane (V a ) arranged at an outermost point (Pvi) of the first volume (Vi) in the first direction (X), wherein the six-sided box volume (V) extends from the first plane (V a ) to a second plane (Vb), which is a projection plane of the first plane (V a ), arranged parallel with the first plane (V a ) in the first direction (X), and which second plane (Vb) is determined to be positioned based on at least one position of the received position information of the arm (12) during the movement maneuver, which at least one position is determined to be positioned farthest away from the first volume (Vi) in the first direction (X) relative the first volume (Vi), of the plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn).
  11. 11 . Machine (10) according to claim 8 or 9, operative for the determining of the safe volume (V) by determining the safe volume (V) as a tent-like volume (V), which extends from the first volume (Vi) in the first direction (X), to a projection line (p-p) which is positioned based on two positions of the received plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn) of the arm (12) during the movement maneuver, which two positions are determined to be positioned farthest away from the first volume (Vi) in the first direction (X) relative the first volume (Vi), of the plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn).
  12. 12. Machine (10) according to claim 8 or 9, operative for the determining of the safe volume (V) by determining the safe volume (V) as a pyramid-like volume (V), which extends from the first volume (Vi) in the first direction (X), to an outermost position (P ou t) of the received plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn) of the arm (12) during the movement maneuver, which outermost position (P ou t) is determined to be positioned farthest away from the first volume in the first direction (X) relative the first volume (Vi) of the plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn).
  13. 13. Machine (10) according to any of claims 8-12, further operative for: - repeating the step of determining a safe volume (V) in a determined number of directions (X, Y, Z) relative the first volume (Vi) until a determined number of safe volumes (V) are determined around the machine (10).
  14. 14. A computer program (103) comprising instructions, which, when executed by at least one processing circuitry (101 ) of a machine (10) for mining operation, which machine (10) comprises a body (11 ) and an arm (12) having a first end (12a) and an opposite second end (12b), wherein the first end (12a) of the arm (12) is pivotally arranged at the body (11 ) and the second end (12b) is a free end which is arranged for carrying a tool, causes the machine (10) to perform the following steps: - determining the body (11 ) of the machine (10) as a first volume (V1 ), - receiving position information of the arm (12) during a movement maneuver of the arm (12) outside the first volume (Vi) in a determined number of directions (X, Y, Z) relative the first volume (Vi), the position information comprising information on a plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... P n ) for the arm (12), - determining a safe volume (V) for the arm (12) based on at least one of the plurality of positions (Pi, P2, ... Pn) during the movement maneuver and based on the first volume (V1 ), and - allowing the arm (12) to move autonomously within the safe volume (V).

Description

METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING A SAFE VOLUME AROUND A MACHINE Technical field [0001 ] The present disclosure relates generally to method for establishing a safe working volume around a machine, preferably around a machine for underground use in mining industry. Background [0002] Working sites for working machines underground, for example within mining industry, typically are rough environments with uneven surfaces of ground, walls, ceiling etc. This of course due to that mining activities like detonations, drilling etc. leads to uneven and irregular surfaces in mine shafts, corridors and mine rooms. Machines for work underground typically comprises some kind of mobile platform (chassis/machine body) on which different kinds of tools may be arranged. It is common that these tools are positioned on different kinds of arms to facilitate access to area in which the tool is intended to be used. It is further common that the arms have several different working positions, for example a first where drilling takes place, but also a second where a new tool or a new drill is retrieved from the platform. The movement between the positions of the arm usually is automated, which means that the working machine itself can perform things such as changing drills or fetching a tool, plugs etc. from a magazine, and then returning to the working position. When the machine performs these automatic movements, it is advantageous if the arm or the tool does not strike surrounding walls. To ensure that the machine performs the automated movements without hitting surrounding walls, for example in known art, the surrounding volume is scanned with a radar, lidar, or the like. However, this requires additional equipment and adaptations of the working machine as well as the system, which means extra cost for expensive surveillance equipment and scanning systems as well as a risk that the added equipment might be damaged in the rough environment. Such solutions may be found in for example W02004/086084 A1 and WO2011/141629 A1 . [0003] Thus, there is a need for a simple and robust alternative for providing automatic motions of an arm attach to a working machine. Summary [0004] It is an object of the disclosure to address at least some of the problems and issues outlined above. An object of aspects of the present disclosure is to provide a method for establishing a safe volume around a machine when positioned at a working site, within which safe volume an arm can move autonomously and safe without hitting surfaces of the mine or hitting the working machine. The method solves the problem without need of any extra equipment. [0005] According to one aspect, a method for establishing a safe volume around a machine when positioned at a working site, is disclosed. The machine comprises a body and an arm having a first end and an opposite second end. The first end of the arm is pivotally arranged at the body of the machine and the second end is a free end which is arranged for carrying a tool, of any kind. The method comprises: - determining the body of the machine as a first volume, - receiving position information of the arm during a movement maneuver of the arm outside the first volume in a determined number of directions relative the first volume, the position information comprising information on a plurality of positions for the arm, - determining a safe volume for the arm based on at least one of the plurality of positions during the movement maneuver and based on the first volume, and - allowing the arm to move autonomously within the safe volume. [0006] By such a method, no extra equipment is needed. Instead, one records the motion of the arm when moving the arm at the mine site, for example during manual motions (or automatic) for example when drilling holes for securing bolts or the like. Typically, the machine or vehicle has been driven/moved to the site, manual or autonomously in known manner. Thus, the actual machine “volume” (the first volume according to the method) is per se, a volume which is not interfered by any other object, like rock surfaces, and thus “safe” in that manner. But the arm, which is pivotally attached to the machine, may normally not be allowed to interfere with the machine, wherein the first volume (the machine volume) should not be a part of the safe volume. Of course, the arm may move with or without a tool, in a close vicinity of the machine, for example to collect tools or refill parts (like an extra set of bolts), but of course may not be allowed to collide with the machine. At the working site, typically some manual or automatic motions are performed, for example moving a drill tool to the rock surface and start drilling. By the method, the arm motion when moving it or the tool close to the rock surface is logged, and by that, this motion is safe to be used again. By using position information of the arm during movement maneuvers of the arm outside the first volume in a determined number of directions relativ