Work area monitoring system for lifting machines

A system for avoidance of obstacles by a crane, the system comprising:

• a rotational drive mechanism that rotates a boom of the crane relative to a base of the crane on a support surface;
• a hoist drive mechanism that elevates and lowers a load on a load hook from the boom;
• at least one detector that provides obstacle location and identification information based upon sensing a position of the obstacle itself in three dimensions, and provides load position information based upon sensing a position of the load itself in three dimensions;
• and
• a microcontroller that receives the obstacle location and identification information and the load position information from the detector and provides obstacle avoidance data in response thereto;
• a rotational drive mechanism controller that receives control signals from the microcontroller to halt rotation of the boom in the direction of the obstacle when the obstacle location and identification information is determined by the microcontroller to indicate an obstacle within a predetermined distance of the load;
• wherein the at least one detector includes a boom detector positioned on the boom distally from the base of the crane to provide the obstacle location and identification information beyond the base of the crane including any outriggers.