Development of a Wire Angle and Slackness Estimation System Using Depth Camera for Trolly-Position Correction Before Lift-Off of Overhead Cranes

Abstract

While the automation of overhead cranes is progressing, the ‘lift-off’ process is still manually operated. In this paper, we developed a system for estimating the angle and slackness of lifting wire using point cloud data obtained by a depth camera that can be easily installed on actual equipment. We then developed a lift-off operation support system where subjects only monitor the estimated wire angle and slackness. The experimental results using a scale-model crane show that the support system suppressed the swing of the suspended load, compared to a lift-off operation with the subject’s vision.