FTS (Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President: Hiroyuki Kimura), a company that develops and sells construction machinery, and four general contractors have jointly developed a "spray navigation system" to measure and manage the degree of elevation. thickness of shotcrete in real-time mountain tunnel construction. . In the future, the company plans to popularize the "Hercules Navigator", a paint sprayer with an erection unit equipped with the developed system.
You can check the spray thickness in real time from the tablet device (from the press release)
In addition to FTS, it is also developed by five companies: Shimizu Corporation, Toda Corporation, Nishimatsu Corporation and Maeda Corporation.
The new system uses millimeter wave radar technology can accurately measure the distance to the surface where fresh concrete is being sprayed in real time motion capture technology helps to accurately measure the coordinate position of the wave radar millimeter It includes four technologies: operation control technology and mechanical positioning system technology for mines building tunnels through mountains.
Real-time visualization of the complete shape of the sprayed concrete according to the coordinate system of the baseline of the tunnel, using a tablet device, etc. Real-time digital management of construction activities and completed forms became possible. Measure the distance to the surface to be sprayed with millimeter wave radar. Unlike conventional radar waves, it penetrates the mist and dust of sprayed ready-mixed concrete, so measuring waves are less confused and can detect thickness changes during work with high accuracy. . A motion capture camera is applied to measure the nozzle position during the injection process.
Maeda Corporation is responsible for verifying and establishing the introduction of millimeter wave radar technology, FTS is responsible for developing a high rigidity, electronically controlled injection robot, Toda Corporation and Nishimatsu Construction Co. responsible for establishing the coordinate positioning technology for the nozzle, and integrating the coordinate system with the navigation system for the tunnel machinery. Maeda Construction is responsible for the technology development. Shimizu Corporation is responsible for the overall verification by integrating the prototype and providing the demonstration field.
Since 2018, the joint development team including FTS has been developing technology to remotely automate the concrete spraying work for the construction of mountain tunnels. Hercules Navigator was developed with the aim of developing a technology that allows real-time, quantitative confirmation of the status of the finished product without sacrificing the efficiency of traditional spray work.
