Trajectory Arrangement of Bucket Motion of Wheel Loader

SARATA Shigeru (AIST)*, OSUMI Hisashi(Chuo University),

HIRAI Yusuke(Canon Co.) and MATSUSHIMA Gen (Citizen Co.)

* Intelligent Systems Laboratory,

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Namiki 1-2-1, Tsukuba, 305-8564 JAPAN
sarata-s@aist.go.jp

ABSTRACT: For autonomous scooping operation by wheel loader, a method for adequate arrangement of
bucket trajectory will be proposed. In scooping operation of wheel loader by human operator, bucket motion
includes several cycles of arm lift and bucket tilt alternately. Consequently, the tip of bucket moves on alternate
short path of horizontal and vertical direction. In this paper, relation between resistance force and advancing
direction is analyzed theoretically. Advancing direction of the bucket is dominant factor for resistance force on
the bucket during scooping. Based on this analysis, simple algorithm for bucket trajectory arrangement is
proposed. The algorithm is implemented into small size experimental model of wheel loader. Results of the
experiments show that proposed algorithm generates adequate bucket motion for different conditions of pile.

KEYWORDS: Wheel Loader, Scooping, Bucket Control, Trajectory, Resistance force, Pile

1. INTRODUCTION In ordinary scooping by wheel loader, bucket

motion consists of three phases as shown in Fig.1.
A wheel loader (front-end loader) is one of the At the beginning of scooping, the bucket is placed
major loading machines in construction work, on the ground. The base of bucket is kept
mining, agriculture etc. For automatic or horizontally. The bucket penetrates into the pile
autonomous loading operation, basic studies have with advancing of the body by wheel revolution in
been carried out and several methods for bucket Phase 1(A-B). In Phase 2(B-C), the tip of bucket
trajectory generation have been proposed. One of moves upward along a line or a curve with
major method is similar to the computed torque increasing of the tilt angle of bucket. When the
method, which is applied for control of serial link bucket is filled up with the pile, the bucket moves
manipulators used in assembling lines[1]. In this upward almost vertically in Phase 3(C-D).
method, the reference value for the control system Determination of transfer from Phase 1 to Phase 2
is the estimation value of resistance force at the and arrangement of bucket path are significant for
bucket based on soil-bucket interaction models. effective scooping.
However, soil-bucket interaction models are based
on estimated value of unknown factors such as
bulk density, angle of internal friction etc. These
factors cannot be obtained prior to scooping.

By contrast, other methods, which do not use any

information on the pile or material, have been
applied in field trials and shown good
performance. In the scoop operation by human
operator, scoop procedure consists of several
Figure 1. Bucket Path Model
cycles of arm lift and bucket tilt alternately. To
realize this motion, a kind of sequence controller
In operation by human operator, it seems that
was installed and applied to scooping operation at
when penetrating force exceeds “threshold”, Phase
asphalt plant and gravel mine[2][3]. The controller
is transferred from 1 to 2. In Phase 2, Arm lift and
performed this cyclic bucket motion based on the
tilt up are repeated cyclically. Arm lift generates
resistance force at the bucket.

135
mainly forward movement of the bucket. Tilt up F2: Resistance force at bottom of the bucket. F2
generates upward movement. appear when κ>ζ in Figure 2 however such
direction or configuration are not taken at practice
In this paper, these empirical operation methods is operation.
analyzed theoretically and evaluated by
experiment using small size experimental model F3: weight of material in the bucket.
of wheel loader.
F3 = Mg (2)
2. ELEMENTS OF FORCE ACTING ON
THE BUCKET where M is mass of material in the bucket.

Fig.2 shows geometrical parameters of the bucket F4: Frictional force between bucket and materials
motion and pile at scooping. Each elements of inside of the bucket. Vertical elements of force
reacting force applied on the bucket are shown in applied on inside of the bucket include that of F5.
Fig.3. Definition and formulations of each element
are as follows; F4 = µF3cosζ + µF5 cos(φ − ζ ) (3)
mo t i o n
di r ec t i o n F5: Force required to move material in front of the
Sl i d e
bucket. F5 varies depend on scooping phases. In
s u r f a ce
phase 2, Material inside of the bucket forms
Bu ck e t virtual plane that push material outside of the
bucket. In this case, passive soil pressure by
Coulomb theory can be applied with consideration
H yt the virtual plane as the wall.

xt γH
2
1
PP = 2
×
2 sin αsin(α − δ )
Figure 2. Geometrical Parameters
2
sin (φ + α ) …….(4)
Sl i di ng 2
sur f ace  sin(φ + δ )sin( φ - β ) 
1 + 
 sin(α - δ )sin( α + β ) 
Bucket
F5 For
formularization of elements of the force, basic
experiments have been carried out. Fig.4 shows
F4 F1
experiment system. The main component of the
system is slide table driven by boll screw and DC
motor. Experimental plates are attached on an end
F3 F2 of the table and resistance force is measured
during penetration into pile.
Figure 3. Force Acting on Bucket
Ｉ
ＢＭ ＰＣ／ＡＴ
F1: penetrating force at the tip of bucket during
Counter D/A A/D
advancing. board converter converter
Universal force-
F1 = K 0 cos κγHSg (1) Motor moment sensor
Sand
driver
Encoder
Where H is depth of pile at the tip of bucket, S is
cross sectional area of the tip of bucket, γ is
specific gravity of material of the pile and g is
acceleration of gravity. K0 is coefficient related
penetration resistance for each material. Figure 4. Penetration Force Measurement

136
Fig.6 is the result of flat plane penetration as pressure theory. Both of lines agree very well.
shown in Fig.5(a). Width of the plates is 150mm Formulation of F5 can be based on Coulomb’s
and thickness of plates are 2mm and 3mm. Dark theory. The result shows that the magnitude of
line and gray line represent resistance force of resistance force in this case is superior to those of
3mm and 2mm plate respectively. Thin line the penetrating force or the frictional force. F5 is
represents calculated frictional force obtained by dominant force in resistance force at the bucket.
extrapolation. It is clear that penetrating force F1
is proportional to depth of pile and frictional force 3. KINEMATICS AND FORCE ANALYSIS
is proportional to power of the depth. Magnitude OF BUCKET LINK
of the penetrating force is superior to the frictional
force. In this section, kinematics and force analysis of
the experimental model YAMAZUMI-2(YZ-2
Fig.8) is described. Fig.9 shows kinematics model
of YZ-2. The bucket motion mechanism consists
of two links: arm link and tilt link. The bucket has
φ φ three degrees of freedom with linear body motion
50 ｍｍ
60 Insertion distance 50
60ｍｍ by wheel revolution. Therefore position and
configuration of the bucket are represented by
functions of three valuables: advancing of the
body, arm angle and tilt angle.
(a) flat plate (b) vertical plate
Figure 5. Types of Plate

7
P lane　insertion
Theoreticalof resultant force
Theoreticalof F 3
Reaction force N

Theoreticalof F 4(K ｄ=20)　

0 20 40 60
0 　Insertion distance　mm
Figure 6. Resistance Force at Flat plate Figure 8. YAMAZUMI-2

60
T type insertion
Reaction force N

Theoreticalvalue of F5

0 20 40
0 60
　Insertion distance　mm
Figure 7. Resistance Force at Vertical plate
Figure 9. Kinematics Model

Fig.7 is the result of vertical plate penetration as p x = q1 + l1 + l3 cos( q2 ) + l4 cos( q3 + θ b )

shown in Fig.5(b). Thin line represents calculation (5)
p y = l2 + l3 sin( q2 ) + l4 sin( q3 + θ b )
result of resistance force based on Coulomb soil
θ p = q3 + θ

137
where p=(px, py, θp)T is the position vector of 4.RESISTANCE FORCE ENVELOPE AND
bucket tip, q=(q1, q2, q3)T is the joint vector, q1 is OPERATIONAL FORCE
the advancing distance, q2 is the angle of arm and
q3 is the angle of bucket tilt. θb is the offset angle As described in previous sections, magnitude of
between direction of l4 and the bucket. the resistance force F1, F4 and F5 at the bucket
from pile is varied with advancing direction of the
Matrix equation (6) is obtained by differentiating bucket. However F3 has no relation to the
above equations. This equation describes relation advancing direction. Apparent resistance force on
between joint velocity and bucket velocity. the bucket is integrated force from F1 through F5.
In fig.11, magnitude of F1 in arbitrary advancing
p& = J q& (6) directions is shown. In this figure, the tip of
bucket is located on the origin of this coordinate
． ． system. When the bucket moves in direction p,
Where p is bucket velocity vector, q is joint magnitude of penetration force is length of vector
velocity vector and J is Jacobian matrix. p.
Relation between force at the bucket and torque at
each joint is described by the equation. 3

2.5

τ = JT f (7) 2
p
1.5

Where JT is transposed matrix of Jacobian. 1

τ=(τ1, τ2, τ3)Τ is the torque vector and each element 0.5

is the torque at each joints respectively. f=(fx, fy, 0

nxy)T is the external force vector. Operational force 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

at the tip of bucket is obtained from equation (8)

with inverse matrix of JT.
Figure 11. Resistance Force F1
f = ( J T ) −1 τ (8)
F4 and F5 have close relation to each other. As
shown in Fig.12, virtual plane is supposed
fx and fy are obtained from equation (8), between materials inside and outside of the
bucket. F5 acts in normal direction to this virtual
f x = τ1 plane.
(9)
f y = τ 1 tan θ 2 + τ 2 / l 2 cosθ 2

Let τ1max and τ2max be the maximum torque at

wheel and arm actuators. The maximum
operational force at the tip of bucket is shown in
Fig.10 at a certain configuration. Each point in the
polygon of operational force represents
combination of fx and fy which are element of x
and y direction of the force at the tip of bucket as
described in equation (9).

fy
Figure 12. Virtual Plane
τ2max
When advancing of the bucket, it pushes material
on the virtual plane. Required force for the bucket
movement is greater than that of F5. F5 is
formularized by passive pressure of Coulomb
τ1max fx
theory. Direction of the virtual plane is normal to
Figure 10. Operational Force Plygon advancing direction of the bucket. Therefore
magnitude of F5 is function of the advancing

138
direction. On the virtual plane, no shear stress is 5.TRAJECTORY ARRANGEMENT
supposed to be appeared. Hence F5 is obtained by
equation (4) with δ=0. Fig.13 shows magnitude of Based on analysis described in previous sections,
F5 in each advancing directions. an algorithm for bucket control is installed on
experimental model YM-2. The algorithm consists
of simple rule: if horizontal element of resistance
10
force exceed setting threshold, advancing
8
direction of the bucket is arranged to upward
direction. Arranged angle is proportional to
6

2
exceeding value of the resistance force from the
0
threshold.
0 5 10 15 20 25

Bucket of YZ-2 is 250mm in width, and has

capacity of 2000cm3. Experimental pile is crashed
Figure 13. Magnitude of F5 granite in 5mm diameter. Specific gravity is 1.4
and internal frictional angle is 38 degree.
20
18
Fig.15 (a) and (b) show path of the tip of bucket.
16 Inclined lines are slope of the pile. Slope angles of
14 pile are (a) 20degree and (b) 30degree. Setting
12 threshold for controller is 20N. In both of the
10 cases, path of tip shows that scooping is separated
8 b
6
into phases defined in the beginning section.
4 Bucket motion is smooth and continuous. The
2 a proposed control algorithm generates adequate
0 motion of the bucket for different conditions of
0 10 20 30 pile.

Figure 14. Resistance Force Envelope and

Operational Force Polygon 140

120

100
Integration of F1 and F5 form resistance force 80

envelop as shown in Fig.14. It is total required 60

force for advancing of the bucket in corresponding 40

20
directions. Dotted lines represent operational force 0

polygon. If the bucket moves indirection a, -20

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

magnitude of resistance force exceeds operational

force. Therefore the bucket cannot move in this (a) Gentle slope(20degree)
direction. If the bucket moves in direction b,
operational force is greater than resistance force 140

and the bucket can move in this direction. 120

Direction for intersection of resistance force 100

envelope and operational force polygon is lower 80

limit of advancing direction. 60

40

20

By advancing of the bucket, resistance force is 0

increased proportional to increasing of depth of

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
-20

the pile at the tip of bucket. Then the bucket

cannot move in this direction because the (b) Steep slope(30degree)
resistance force exceeds the operational force in
this direction. However the bucket can continue Figure 15. Path of Tip of Bucket
advancing in upper direction because the
resistance force is smaller in these directions. In phase 1, the bucket moves into pile horizontally
and penetration length are 110mm in (a) and
50mm in (b). At these points, depth of pile on the

139
tip of bucket is 40mm in (a) and 30mm in (b). 6.CONCLUSION
Relation between resistance force and height of
the virtual plane obtained by equation (4) is shows Relation between the resistance force and
in Fig.16. X-axis represents height of virtual plane advancing direction of bucket is analyzed
in [mm] and y-axis represents resistance force in theoretically. The relation is formularized in the
[N]. Dark line represents case (a) and gray line resistance force envelope and the maximum
represents case (b). If resistance force is 20N, operational force of bucket motion mechanism.
corresponding height of virtual plane is 40mm and The advancing direction is dominant factor for
30mm for case (a) and (b) respectively. These resistance force on the bucket. Based on the
depths agree with experimental results. analysis, simple algorithm for bucket trajectory
arrangement is implemented on experimental
70 model YZ-2. The result shows that the proposed
60 algorithm generates adequate bucket motion for
50 different condition of pile. The proposed
40 algorithm shows good performance for different
30 conditions in experiments however combination
20 with bucket trajectory planning with vision system
10 would be one of the practical solutions for
0 application to real working sites..
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

7. REFERENCES

Figure 16. Resistance force vs. height of [1]Singh,S. and Cannon,H.:Milt-Resolution

the virtual plane Planning for Earthmoving, Proc ICRA, 1998
[2]Gocho,T. et al.: Autonomous Wheel-loader in
At the beginning of Phase 2, the bucket moves in Asphalt Plant, Proc. 9th International Symposium
upper direction in (b) than (a). Fig.17 shows on Automation and Robotics in Construction,
relation between resistance force and advancing 1992
direction of bucket. Magnitude of the resistance [3]Sarata,S.: Research and Development on
force depends on direction significantly. Dark line Unmanned Loading Operation by Wheel Loader,
represents case (a) and gray line represents case Proc. Rapid Mine Development, 2002
(b). If advancing direction is changed upward by
10 degrees, resistance force is reduced to half.

30

25

20

15

10

0
0 10 20 30 40

Fig.17 Resistance Force

140