Fujita Corporation (Head Office : Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan, President : Takuji Ueda), in cooperation with "Asama Research Laboratory" and "Yamashita Research Laboratory", part of the Department of Precision Engineering, in the School of Engineering, at University of Tokyo (hereinafter "Asanuma Research laboratory" and "Yamashita Research Laboratory"), has developed a "Bird's-eye View System" (patent pending). The system provides a bird's eye view of a construction site to workers remotely controlling unmanned construction machinery. This system can be mounted on construction machines equipped with "Robo-Q" (a portable robot to operate construction machines, developed by Fujita Corporation in cooperation with Technical Office of Kyushu, Kyushu Regional Development Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport), and will dramatically improve workability and operability of remotely controlled construction machinery used for unmanned construction at the site of natural disasters.

Since there is a secondary disaster risk , work at the disaster site is urgent, and thus any improvements to the remote control technology which can help increase the speed and accuracy of the operator who controls construction machinery are beneficial.
The"Bird's-eye View" is generated artificially using a calibration method that is developed by"Asanuma Research laboratory" and "Yamashita Research Laboratory". The method use 4 fish-eye lens cameras looking in different directions attached to the construction machinery. (fig-1, photo-1,and right side of photo-2)

The operability of this system was evaluated by an experimental remote control test (Photo-3), with system attached to power shovel operated using a "Robo-Q" portable robot. As a result of this test, it was shown that the obstacle avoidance and stop point accuracy are improved when compared with only using a lens in front of the power shovel. The accuracy of stopping points for bucket movement during excavation work is also improved, as was general operability Previously, operator views were limited to a front-facing camera and views from statically- positioned cameras previously placed around the construction site. In a disaster zone the latter are difficult to position safely in a 'sweet spot' The "bird's view" system removes the need for these fixed cameras .
In the future, we intend to improve resolution and durability,as well as the range of vehicles to which the technology can be applied.

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