Detection of Dump Truck for Loading Operation by Wheel Loader

The authors have been conducting development of an autonomous loading system by wheel loader. As a part of the development, a detection method of location of the dump truck will be described in this paper. In the process of loading to the truck in the operation, the loader approaches to the dump truck in very close distance. The function for collision avoidance between the loader and the truck is an essential function for the autonomous system. The detection of location of the truck is based on GPS data and Laser Range Finders (LRF). The detection based on LRF is more precise and robust. The developed detecting method is installed and tested on the Experimental loader in test field. The system shows very good results.