The Navigator system manages anti-collision between tower cranes and mobile cranes (or any kind of mobile). The new product is part of SK’s Global Safety Crane Management programme which, SK says, gives a form of artificial intelligence to a crane, enabling it to automatically avoid any collision, accident and intrusion risk with its environment composed of heterogeneous mobiles, motionless obstacles and programmed forbidden zones, and in optimising its productivity and maintenance.
SK says Navigator is an all-in-one solution, and is a rugged military onboard computer that embeds advanced 3D anti-collision software and the complete infrastructure for the Global Safety Crane Management in the crane.
SK Group spokesman Bruno Houn says: “We are proud to share our vision: to allow end users and manufacturers to access our software-based technological platform Navigator on an industrial scale, in order to make construction vehicles and cranes ‘intelligent’, communicating and compatible on a planetary scale.
“Our exclusive partnership between SK Solutions and the American giant Honeywell, the NASA supplier, led to the introduction of revolutionary aerospace technology sensors. The first achievement of this partnership, the fruit of two years of collaboration, is a sensor integrating a digital compass, an inertial central and a Differential Global Positioning System (dGPS).
“SK Group technology does not use electromechanical components, but is software-based. This allows the integration of powerful IT solutions like VoIP phone systems to replace classical walkie-talkies, and use of Infrared IP cameras to provide night vision to the crane operators during night shifts.
“The systematic generalization of integration of aerospace components makes the SK Group offering revolutionary and unique. SK Group has achieved state-of-the-art anti-collision systems at very affordable costs, and with simplified deployment and maintenance,” says Houn.
SK adds Navigator has been officially approved by DEKRA, an independent certification body. DEKRA says it is the world’s third largest inspection, verification and certification body.