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Machines working remotely

  • Magazine Feature Article
  • 14OFHP11_03
Published November 06, 2014 by SAE International in United States
Language:
  • English

A new electrohydraulic steering technology offers energy efficiency improvements, increased productivity, enhanced safety, and adaptability to operating conditions, while also providing the capacity to support remote operation of a compact wheel loader.

Remotely operated machines have been researched and developed in various industry sectors including military, automotive, agriculture, aerospace, and construction, to name a few. Remote operation is desired where conditions are deemed too hazardous for human operators to perform, as is the case with explosive mines, radioactive sites, outer space missions, and oil drilling structures. On the other hand, when the nature of the work performed is repetitive and requires less complex decision-making and problem-solving skills, autonomous operation can provide a viable alternative.

Multiple researchers, in both academia and industry, have probed remote and autonomous operation of machines over the past few decades. A tele-operated skid steer loader was developed with two operator-machine interfaces and compared against a manually operated machine. Testing results demonstrated acceptable performance of the first interface employing a laptop computer with a steering wheel. Testing also showed that the operator-machine interface choice was task dependent, and handheld-computer control yielded good results in specific cases only.