Prevent Accidents and Damage Using Autonomous Construction Vehicles 28 March 2024

Increase efficiency, boost productivity and enhance safety — and all at the lowest possible cost. The construction site of the future is intelligent, automated and autonomous, and the camera is a key part of the picture.  

Most accidents at construction sites and mines are caused by not having an adequate view of the surrounding area. Construction machinery can be quite large, so in many cases operators do not have a complete field of vision around the vehicle. Factor in excessive time pressure or a tired operator, and the risk of accidents only increases. Using a camera monitor system that can detect objects and people can eliminate this risk. A camera makes the operator's job easier, increases the field of view and prevents both accidents and damage to machinery.

From Automation to Autonomy
At Stoneridge-Orlaco, we believe that the role of vision solutions is shifting, from accessories to essential safety components for vehicles and machinery. This development is aimed not only at increasing productivity, but also at enhancing safety. Automation has led to reduced production costs across multiple sectors in recent decades, and is now considered indispensable. Despite these advances, people remain an important yet essentially fallible element — some 90% of accidents are the result of human error.

Self-driving vehicles can help us to prevent accidents, and therefore injury and damage. After many years focused on achieving automation, we are gradually moving toward the advent of autonomous vehicles. Autonomous construction vehicles are more productive than machinery operated by people. Dump trucks or excavators can be operated 24x7, for instance, with the end result that construction projects are completed quicker. These autonomous vehicles increase safety and also reduce costs, as operators are no longer required.

Cameras Play a Key Role
Cameras are essential to the development of autonomous vehicles, and advances in artificial intelligence mean that they are constantly improving. If the right parameters and algorithms are applied, cameras are able to recognize patterns and initiate actions accordingly. As a result, it is possible for a vehicle to brake, excavate and dump its load fully independently. While radars and sensors can detect obstacles, smart cameras are able to verify and classify those obstacles, even in the case of moving objects such as people.

Cameras on and around the vehicle monitor the area constantly in order to detect people in the vicinity. Cameras are able to "see" depth by comparing successive frames and can then use algorithms to detect people and construction materials, for instance. With intelligent features such as these, cameras are now so much more than just passive recording devices — they are proactive detection systems. A camera is therefore an indispensable part of a future in which operators will no longer be needed on construction sites ever again. However, as cameras are optical systems that can struggle in dark or rainy conditions, a camera on its own is not enough. Fully autonomous vehicles also depend on various other technologies, such as sensors, 5G and Wi-Fi, GPS, lidar and radar.

Packed Full of Sensors
An autonomous vehicle requires a whole host of sensors to ensure that the entire area around the vehicle can be captured. GPS pinpoints the location, 5G and Wi-Fi allow vehicles to communicate with each other, lidar and radar detect objects, and cameras map the surrounding area. With all these intelligent technologies at work, vehicles are able to respond much more quickly in an emergency than people, independently taking action within milliseconds to prevent accidents. Autonomous excavators and dump trucks fitted with this smart equipment can therefore enhance safety and increase productivity on major infrastructure projects and large mining operations.