Advantech has collaborated with construction machinery enterprises in China on a Smart Concrete Pump Truck project. The project leverages Advantech’s self-developed and manufactured ITA-460 on-board AI unit, which serves as the vehicle’s intelligent computing platform. Equipped with exceptional computing capabilities, the rugged ITA-460 waterproof box PC enables intelligent and precise operations for the pump truck, enhancing construction efficiency and safety.
The need for a rugged, intelligent solution
A concrete pump truck is designed to dispense concrete continuously over specified distances and heights, using pressure through pipelines. Smart pump trucks differ from traditional vehicles in that many operations can be triggered automatically, without human intervention. Smart pump trucks necessitate robust computing capabilities to analyse large amounts of video and image data for decision-making. Considering the challenging operating environments, intelligent equipment deployed in pump trucks must possess advanced power management capabilities and demonstrate resilience against vibration, water, dust, high temperatures and salt spray.
Project implementation
Advantech customised its industrial power modules design to comply with rigorous environmental testing and EMC standards, and commercial vehicle safety regulations. These modules meet the vehicle power regulations of 9-36V and provide exceptional performance in radiation and interference protection.
The ITA-460 features an Intel® Core™ i3-8100T processor, 8GB onboard memory, a wide-temperature 256GB SSD (-40 – 85 °C), one CANbus, standard onboard interfaces and rigorous automotive certifications.
The ITA-460 has an IP65 rating, ensuring high resistance to dust, shocks and vibration. Advantech’s self-developed onboard ignition feature enables autonomous delayed shutdown and critical data preservation in the event of unexpected vehicle shutdown. It also supports ignition system integration for ignition-based startup.
The ITA-460 is designed with car aviation connectors and expansion capabilities for wireless network cards, ensuring stability and flexibility.
It supports optimisation and testing of video analysis and wireless transmission capabilities. With three Mini PCIe slots and one SIM slot, the device enables efficient, real-time transmission for 5G communication and expansion of critical control I/O interfaces.
In-vehicle smarts boost safety and efficiency
The ITA-460 utilises images captured by cameras on the working surface to perform three-dimensional modelling and analysis, calculating the specified working path. This allows for the real-time reconstruction of the pump truck’s working surface and equipment status. The ITA-460 onboard platform analyses various parameters such as boom extension, height, displacement and direction of the vehicle’s boom and pumping unit.
To control the automated construction of the mechanical boom and support legs, the ITA-460 connects to the onboard controller via the CANbus. The system can automatically adjust position and operating direction, achieving minimal errors. This reduces the need for manual operations, freeing personnel from harsh working environments. As a result, on-site construction becomes more convenient and safer.
The ITA-460 has the capability to conduct fault diagnosis and predict health trends for key components of the pump truck. By analysing real-time operational data, the system can accurately predict component faults with an impressive accuracy of 85%.
Through visual AI technology analysis, the system can also detect the relative positions of humans and machines. When personnel enter hazardous areas by mistake, the intelligent pump truck will immediately sound an alarm to ensure the safety of individuals and prevent accidents from happening.
In the current wave of digital transformation within traditional manufacturing enterprises, the adoption of advanced technologies such as AI, 5G, computer vision and sensors has become crucial for enhancing operational efficiency and reducing labour costs in the construction machinery industry.
Advantech plays a significant role in assisting construction machinery enterprises to leverage intelligent and digitalised machines. These advancements embody the principles of high safety, high technology and sustainable development.
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Article & Photos courtesy of Advantech
