Connor Holowachuk | Project exact-crane-avoidance

Project Overview

The Crane Avoidance System is a safety feature designed to prevent collisions between cranes and other structures. The system uses a combination of sensors and software to detect the presence of other cranes and other structures and to provide a warning to the operator.

Miniature ModelA wood model powered by a stepper motor was created to test the rotational accuracy of IMU used in the crane avoidance system. Please excuse the camera focus issues.

Software

The software was built using Vue.js and is a single page application that runs on a Raspberry Pi. It interfaced over I2C to an IMU secured within the enclosure for real-time orientation data, filtered by a an adjusted AHRS algorithm.

Nearby Crane AvoidanceA combination of 3D printed components, off-the-shelf plastic enclosures, and a custom CNC milled screen window, the enclosure provided a simple installation and interface for the operator to view the status of the system and control the crane.

Weather UpdatesEquipped with a u-blox 4G modem and optional wind speed sensor, the software was able to provide the operator with weather updates and warnings when the wind speed exceeded safe operating limits.

Collision ZonesAlong with avoiding other cranes, the boom and rear counterweight must also avoid nearby towers, especially in dense urban environments. Calibrating collision zones for the boom and counterweight helped the operator to avoid collisions with nearby towers.

Enclosure Design

A combination of 3D printed components, off-the-shelf plastic enclosures, and a custom CNC milled screen window, the enclosure provided a simple installation and interface for the operator to view the status of the system and control the crane.

Enclosure DesignThe enclosure was designed to be easily installed on the crane, and to provide a simple interface for the operator to view the status of the system and control the crane.

Peripheral PortsUsing ethernet ports with LED indicators, periperal ports were added to easily interface with the Raspberry Pi for expansion features without altering the design.

Miniature ScreenA 4.7" OLED display used to test a portable model of the system. Using a Raspberry Pi, the screen was connected over HDMI and controlled with custom software (Vue.js).

Adding Collision ZonesIn addition to avoiding other cranes, the boom and rear counterweight must also avoid nearby towers, especially in dense urban environments. Adding collision zones to the system helped the crane opperator to avoid collisions with out-of-sight nearby structures.

Technologies

Explore the technologies I used to build this project