On modern construction sites, guidance and automation systems are increasingly applied to excavators. Recently, studies have been actively conducted to compare the estimation results of the bucket tip with the motion measurement method of the boom, stick, and bucket and the sensor selection. This study selected the method of measuring the cylinder length of boom, stick, and bucket, and the method of directly measuring the boom, arm, and bucket, which are commonly used in guidance and automation systems. A low-cost sensor that can be attached and detached to the excavator in modular form was selected to apply the above methods to commercial excavator. After the sensor selection, hardware and excavator simulation models for sensor measurements were constructed. Finally, the trajectory of the bucket tip was compared and analyzed through graphs and simulation results when the boom, stick, and bucket were independently rotated one by one, or together. The results gives a guideline on what kinds of sensors would be better in machine guidance or controlling an excavator according to given external environments.

The performance of humanoid robots is improving, owing in part to their participation in robot games such as the DARPA Robotics Challenge. Along with the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, a Skiing Robot Competition was held in which humanoid robots participated autonomously in a giant slalom alpine skiing competition. The robots were required to transit through many red or blue gates on the ski slope to reach the finish line. The course was relatively short at 100 m long and had an intermediate-level rating. A 1.23 m tall humanoid ski robot, ‘DIANA’, was developed for this skiing competition. As a humanoid robot that mimics humans, the goal was to descend the slope as fast as possible, so the robot was developed to perform a carved turn motion. The carved turn was difficult to balance compared to other turn methods. Therefore, ZMP control, which could secure the posture stability of the biped robot, was applied. Since skiing takes place outdoors, it was necessary to ensure recognition of the flags in various weather conditions. This was ensured using deep learning-based vision recognition. Thus, the performance of the humanoid robot DIANA was established using the carved turn in an experiment on an actual ski slope. The ultimate vision for humanoid robots is for them to naturally blend into human society and provide necessary services to people. Previously, there was no way for a full-sized humanoid robot to move on a snowy mountain. In this study, a humanoid robot that transcends this limitation was realized.

Many solutions about the teleoperation of unmanned robotic excavators have been studied continuously. However, if excavators that are remotely controlled were employed, the probability of an accident would be higher. For this reason, there have been many ways proposed to attempt to reduce accidents in these dangerous situations. In this paper, a novel methodology will be introduced with a focus on the multiple excavators themselves. The proposed method details how one excavator can be generated or expressed as an obstacle in the Configuration-Space (C-space) with respect to another excavator’s side for collision avoidance each other. This method is based on kinematics information which is measurable and given. Therefore, this method can be used or applied independently by using widely used pose sensors and wireless communication devices. The phase of mathematical derivation about obstacle sets is described in detail. The results are shown in accompanying figures and tables for demonstrating that the proposed method detected the proximity and found the collision-free zone accurately. The proposed system can be powerful when applied to a teleoperation system, where it would be particularly useful and helpful to the operator.