Minimum Distance Calculation Method for Collision Issues in Lifting Construction Scenarios

In the construction process of prefabricated buildings, collision detection of the tower crane’s lifting path is of paramount importance. During the actual operation of a tower crane, attention is not only given to whether components collide with obstacles but also to calculating the minimum distance from hoisted components to obstacles and identifying the closest obstacle’s ID. This information provides operators or path planners with valuable insights to prevent accidents. This study addresses this issue by proposing a minimum distance calculation method for collision issues in lifting construction scenarios. First, based on the motion characteristics of tower crane hoisting, we employ vertically aligned oriented bounding boxes (VA-OBB) to fit the structural elements in the scene. VA-OBBs are compact bounding volumes (BV) with a rapid update rate. Subsequently, a method for calculating the minimum distance between VA-OBBs is introduced. With this approach, specific calculations are proposed for different risk scenarios in lifting construction. Using real building information modeling (BIM) data from a prefabricated construction scenario as a case study, we conducted an analysis that recorded the minimum distance information throughout the lifting path. This aids in analyzing the causes of accidents and rectifying unsafe path planning. Finally, we evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of the algorithm. Empirical results demonstrate that the algorithm can perform real-time and accurate collision calculations during the hoisting process of prefabricated construction. Additionally, this paper discusses the limitations of the research method and suggests directions for future improvements, providing a viable solution for collision issues in the field of hoisting construction.