Overview of Applications of the Sensor Technologies for Construction Machinery

In recent years, great development in sensor technologies have resulted in substantial progress in the construction efficiency and the degree of automation of construction machinery have made great progress. Applications of the sensor technologies, such as condition monitoring, autonomous construction and the Internet of Things (IoT), have been extensively studied for construction machinery. Firstly, this paper discusses the condition monitoring technology in construction machinery, which mainly involves the monitoring of oil pollution and leakage, vibration monitoring, emission monitoring and whole-system monitoring. Second, regarding autonomous construction technology, this paper conducts analysis and discussion on linear motion, rotary motion, navigation/positioning systems, and visual systems. Third, research on IoT technology in construction machinery is comprehensively discussed, especially in term of life cycle maintenance, construction management and safety management. Finally, higher reliability, the development of smart sensors and big data management of sensor information are described as prospective issues that must be addressed for future construction machinery.