This technology is a motor grader monitoring device, system, and control method that uses a camera mounted between the front and rear wheels, in front of the blade, to capture images of the blade and surrounding soil. The control unit analyzes these images to generate distribution data on how soil is piled up in front of the blade and displays it on the operator's screen.
A motor grader is equipment used to spread soil or level road surfaces with a blade. While understanding the behavior and distribution of soil in contact with the blade is crucial, the operator's field of view is very limited, making it difficult to monitor soil conditions in real time. Consequently, work efficiency has largely depended on the operator's experience, and existing heavy equipment monitoring systems have been limited to preventing collisions by covering blind spots.
In this technology, the control unit extracts soil information using the HSV color space model and identifies outlines through Otsu binarization. It then divides the reference area using a first reference line aligned with the top of the blade and a second vertical reference line to determine if soil is overflowing the blade and how it is distributed across different sections. If the system detects that soil is skewed to one side rather than centered, it can automatically control the blade rotation to push the soil accordingly. Applicable to roadbed leveling, large-scale residential and industrial site preparation, and runway or embankment shaping, this system allows operators of any skill level to instantly view soil overflow and skew on the screen, enabling even spreading and reducing the need for rework.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for the development of digital-based road construction equipment automation technology.
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