TOWER CRANES Ӏ REMOTE OPERATION
Northampton headquarters. “Radius Group has never been afraid to do things differently and we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of lifting technology,” says managing director Michael Fryer. “I am extremely proud and excited to be leading the way in tower crane innovation by being the first tower crane supplier to offer the Skyline Cockpit on live sites.
“It is always daunting being
the first to do something new but somebody must take the lead and I feel the time is right for Radius Group to lead the way.”
REINVENTING THE EXPERIENCE “Skyline Cockpit started with the crane operator at its heart,” explains Skyline co-CEO Aviv Carmel. “Throughout our global travels and conferences we consistently identified a looming issue in our industry: the next generation is veering away from the isolated, weather-worn cabins suspended high in the air. The appeal of being a crane operator is waning. Because operating a tower crane is, let’s face it, not the most attractive of careers on offer to a young person setting out on their working life. It is skilled, certainly; but it is not exactly companionable. There is no one up there to talk to and share a coffee with and comfort breaks are not easy, either. Technology is making all kinds
of new things possible, as daily news reports make clear. News reports, though, tend to focus on wars and conflicts. “Our vision was clear," says Carmel. ”If drones in Iraq can be operated from Texas why not cranes from the ground? “We weren’t just bringing cranes to the ground; we were reinventing the whole experience. Equipped with radars, lasers,
38 CRANES TODAY
cameras, and sensors, the operator now has a dashboard like a pilot’s. Information on wind direction and exact cargo landing and take-off points is readily available.”
INCLUSIVE APPROACH So the cabin on the ground makes the operator's job both more comfortable and safer. It also opens the job up to many more people. Those with disabilities, for example; and those whom one would normally imagine to be least well-suited to life at the top of a tower crane, namely those with a fear of heights! Winvic’s tower crane operator at the Birmingham Crown Place site is a prime example. The cabin on the ground saves him time and makes him more efficient. “I have a fear of heights,” he reveals. “When I started as a tower crane operator it used to take me longer to climb the crane and come down. I used to stop at every level to get used to the height. “I think the new technology is
a step towards the future. It could push a lot more younger people to work on crane operating.”
DATA PROVIDER The revolution, however, is not just for operators says Skyline. “The wealth of data we accumulated was invaluable for the entire construction team, from foremen to safety managers,” Carmel continues. “With real-time data streaming, the entire team could collaborate more effectively. The operator, signal person, and foreman can jointly analyse data, even magnifying visuals to inspect minute details.”
The cabin contains a large panoramic screen, measuring 2.1 by 1.2 metres, which shows simultaneous views from the seven cameras placed on the crane. Sophisticated software
interweaves these visuals, combining the output from the cameras to create a panoramic view of the site. The cameras also provide up to 40% zoom resolution, allowing the crane operator to see areas that would typically be out of their line of sight. They also use augmented reality (AR) to display the load line, expected landing spot, as well as real-time indicators including wind speed, slew, lifting, hoist, jib, and radius data. “The view captures every essential angle, including perspectives from the trolley winch, the lift winch, and the (now unoccupied) cabin giving a clear view of the hook and load line. “On top of that the AR layer anticipates the exact landing spot in real time. Proprietary algorithms provide real-time alerts and critical data, including safety warnings, based on weather and wind data during lifting tasks,” says Carmel. Returning to Winvic, the
Crown Place Birmingham project is the tallest it has worked on to date; the building will comprise 33 storeys when complete. The crane initially stood at 77 metres, but it will be climbed throughout construction to a maximum height of 102 metres. Winvic’s commitment to health,
safety and wellbeing were, it says, key drivers for the selection of the new technology, but daily and weekly analytics reports available through the Skyline Cockpit cloud portal also allow for efficiencies to be analysed. A 12-week trial period
of Skyline Cockpit has now concluded. Its resounding success means Winvic will continue to use the remote operation technology for the remainder of the project; handover of the scheme to client Crown Student Living is scheduled for December 2025.
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