METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A PLURALITY OF TRACTION UNITS, AND, WORK MACHINE

Description

/ 17 METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A PLURALITY OF TRACTION UNITS, AND, WORK MACHINE DESCRIPTION FIELD

[001] The present description refers generally to work machines having ground contact traction units and user interface units, such as pedals, and more particularly to systems and methods for controlling the propulsion of the traction units based on the parallel processing of the inputs of such user interface units. FUNDAMENTALS

[002] Work machines of this type may include, for example, excavators, among others with traction units, such as potentially skid steer loaders and the like. Propulsion and steering controls for conventional excavators are normally provided by pedals that independently control the left and right traction units of the machine's undercarriage. These pedals typically have mechanically coupled levers to allow manual control of tracking functions. These controls can be uncomfortable to operate, particularly when controlling the movement of the work machine over a considerable distance, where the operator must maintain continuous engagement with both pedals.

[003] Conventional solutions to facilitate operation during heavy-duty travel operations vary, one method being to implement a “single pedal” travel system, in which an auxiliary pedal placed alongside the normal travel pedals can be configured to operate both tracks simultaneously to drive the machine in a straight direction. This type of system is often implemented using valves to transfer pilot pressures to the auxiliary control valve for travel control, which effectively disables the Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 10 / 26 / 17 primary pedals. Therefore, course correction can be challenging. To change the machine's direction of travel (i.e., "correct the course"), the operator needs to stop moving in a straight line and use the primary pedals to adjust the machine's direction. BRIEF SUMMARY

[004] The present description provides an improvement over conventional systems, at least in part by introducing a new machine tool, control system and method for using a single pedal displacement system for greater operator comfort during “straight travel” processes, while allowing course correction in parallel with the single pedal displacement mode and without requiring the operator to stop the movement.

[005] In a particular and exemplary embodiment, a method of controlling a plurality of independent traction units in a work machine includes receiving electronic signals comprising: first signals representing user actuation of a first user interface unit to command a traction unit on the first side of the work machine; second signals representing user actuation of a second user interface unit to command a traction unit on the second side of the work machine; and third signals representing user actuation of a third user interface unit to command each of the traction units on the first and second sides of the work machine. The first and third signals are combined to generate a first displacement command value, and the second and third signals are combined to generate a second displacement command value.Control signals are generated for one or more actuators to control the traction unit on the first side of the work machine based on the first displacement command value and control the traction unit. Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 11 / 26 / 17 on the second side of the work machine based on the second displacement command value.

[006] In an illustrative and optional aspect according to the modality of the method referenced above, the values ​​corresponding to each of the first, second and third signals can be normalized to a common unit structure. The common unit structure can, for example, comprise percentage values ​​(%), where the engagement of a user interface unit to command one or more traction units in a forward direction generates a positive value between 0% and 100%, and the engagement of a user interface unit to command one or more traction units in a rear direction generates a negative value between -100% and 0%.

[007] In another exemplary and optional aspect according to the modality of the method referenced above, for first and second displacement command values ​​less than 100%, the control signals can be generated to control the respective traction units based on them. For first and second displacement command values ​​greater than 100%, the respective displacement command values ​​can be normalized back to a range of + / - 100%, where the control signals are generated to control the respective traction units based on them.

[008] In another exemplary and optional aspect according to the modality of the method referenced above, the first and second displacement command values ​​can be normalized back to a range of + / - 100%, dividing each command value respectively by a maximum of the first and second displacement command values.

[009] In another embodiment, as described herein, a work machine may include a plurality of drive units configured to operate independently in the forward or rear directions for Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 12 / 26 / 17 to propel the work machine across a ground surface, and a plurality of user interface units. A first user interface unit is configured after user engagement to generate initial signals to command a traction unit on one side of the work machine. A second user interface unit is configured when the user activates it to generate secondary signals to command a traction unit on the other side of the work machine. A third user interface unit is configured upon user activation to generate third signals to command each of the traction units on the first and second sides of the work machine.A data processing and control system is further configured to direct the execution of steps according to the method's implementation method as referenced above and, optionally, one or more of its exemplary aspects.

[0010] Numerous objects, features and advantages of the embodiments set forth in this document will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 is a side view representing an excavator as an exemplary self-propelled work machine according to an embodiment of the present description.

[0012] Figure 2 is a perspective view representing a set of control pedals as exemplary work interface tools according to an embodiment of the present description.

[0013] Figure 3 is an aerial view representing the forward / rear movement of the tracks of an excavator according to an embodiment of the present description.

[0014] Figure 4 is a block diagram representing a Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 13 / 26 / 17 exemplary control system according to an embodiment of the present description.

[0015] Figure 5 is a flowchart that represents an exemplary embodiment of a method as described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Referring now to Figures 1 to 5, several embodiments can be described with respect to a system and method for operating a self-propelled work machine in what may be termed herein as a “single pedal” travel mode, specifically improving upon conventional techniques similar to offering the ability to correct course while traveling in a substantially straight direction. An electro-hydraulic control system can be used, for example, where all pedals are electronic and can have their signals processed in parallel to offer greater controllability during a desired travel mode.

[0017] Figure 1 illustrates a representative self-propelled work machine 120 in the form of, for example, a tracked excavator. Although an excavator is primarily described here as an example of the work machine 120, other types of work machines within the scope of the present description may, in various embodiments, include a loader, an excavator, a motor grader or other construction, agricultural or utility vehicle, for example.

[0018] The working machine 120 includes an undercarriage 122 including first and second drive units 124. The drive units, as described herein, are in the form of tracks, but in other embodiments within the scope of this description they may include wheels, for example. Only one of the drive units is shown in Figure 1. The other drive unit is parallel to the illustrated drive unit. Each of the drive units 124 may normally include a front idler pulley, a drive sprocket and a track chain extending around it. Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 14 / 26 / 17 of the front idler pulley and the drive sprocket. A displacement motor for each traction device drives its respective drive sprocket. The traction units can be driven at the same speed to move the undercarriage forward (e.g., in a forward direction indicated by an arrow 126) or backward (e.g., in a direction opposite to arrow 126) relative to underlying terrain 128 (e.g., soil or other material supporting the undercarriage). The traction units can also be driven at different speeds to allow the undercarriage to rotate relative to the terrain at an angle relative to the forward direction represented by arrow 126.

[0019] A chassis 130 is supported by the undercarriage 122 by a slewing bearing 132 such that the chassis can be pivoted about a geometric pivot axis of the chassis 134 relative to the undercarriage. The geometric pivot axis is substantially vertical when the underlying ground 128 engaged by the traction units 124 is substantially horizontal. (In the discussion herein, “horizontal” and “vertical” are referenced to a plane defined by the traction units.) A slewing motor (not shown) is configured to pivot the chassis on the slewing bearing about the geometric pivot axis relative to the undercarriage.

[0020] In the illustrated embodiment, in which the work machine 120 is an excavator, a work implement 140 extends from the chassis 130. In Figure 1, the work implement is configured as a boom assembly. The work implement includes conventional components in the form of a boom 142, an arm 144, and a work tool 146. The work tool includes a point of interest (POI) 148, which engages portions of terrain (or other materials) to be moved or removed.

[0021] The boom 142 is pivotally connected to the chassis by a boom-to-chassis linkage joint 150, which provides a geometric axis of Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 15 / 26 / 17 horizontal pivot for the boom. The arm is pivoted to the boom at an arm-to-boom connecting joint 152. In the illustrated embodiment, the work tool 146 is a digging shovel, which is pivoted to the arm 144 at a work tool-to-arm connecting joint 154, which is positioned close to a free end of the arm. In the illustrated embodiment, a first end of a dogbone-type connector 160 is pivoted to the arm at a dogbone-to-arm connecting joint 162, which is offset from the free end of the arm. A second end of the dogbone connector is pivotally connected to a tool link 164. In the context of the illustrated work machine (excavator) 120, the tool link is a bucket link.

[0022] The boom 142 is forced to pivot relative to the chassis 130 by a boom actuator 170. The boom actuator may be a hydraulic motor. In the embodiment illustrated, the boom actuator is a hydraulic piston-cylinder unit that is selectively supplied with pressurized hydraulic fluid to move the piston within the cylinder to extend or retract the piston. The pressurized hydraulic fluid is supplied by a hydraulic system (not shown) and is controlled by manual controls, automatic controls, or a combination of manual and automatic controls. Similarly, the arm 144 is forced to pivot relative to the boom by an arm actuator 172. The work tool (bucket) 146 is forced to pivot relative to the arm by a work tool actuator 174 acting on the work tool via the dogbone connector 160, the dogbone connector-to-arm linkage 162, and the tool link 164.

[0023] The work implement 140 extends from the chassis 130 along a working direction (represented by arrow 176) of the work implement. In Figure 1, the working direction is referenced to Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 16 / 26 / 17 main chassis. Although illustrated as parallel to the forward direction (arrow 126) of the undercarriage 122, the working direction may be at an angle to the rearward direction, depending on the rotation position of the chassis relative to the undercarriage. The working direction may also be described as a working direction of the boom 142.

[0024] As described herein, the control of the work implement 140 refers to the control of the positioning of one or more associated components (e.g., the boom 142, the arm 144 and the work tool 146) to control the movement of the point of interest 148 of the work tool in relation to the material to be manipulated (e.g., the material to be moved or removed).

[0025] The actuators 170, 172, 174 of the work implement 140 can be selectively actuated to pivot the boom 142 relative to its respective boom-to-chassis linkage 150, to pivot the arm 144 relative to the arm-to-boom linkage 152, and / or to pivot the work tool 146 relative to the work tool-to-arm linkage 154. By coordinating the movements of the boom, arm, and work tool of the work implement, the work tool's point of interest engages and acts on the material to be manipulated along a selected path and at a target speed. The selected path can be curved as shown (e.g., by pivoting the work tool around the work tool-to-arm linkage or pivoting the arm around the arm-to-boom linkage).The selected trajectory can also be linear, by coordinating the pivoting of the boom, arm and work tool using inverse kinematic techniques or other suitable techniques (e.g., open mesh modeling) to determine the respective pivoting speeds of the three components of the work implement 140. Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 17 / 26 / 17

[0026] In the illustrated embodiment, an operator cab 192 is located on the chassis 130. In the illustrated embodiment, the operator cab and the work implement 140 are both mounted on the chassis so that the operator cab faces the working direction (arrow 176) of the work implement. In the illustrated embodiment, a control station 194 is located in the operator cab.

[0027] Chassis 130 also supports an engine 196 to power the work machine 120. The engine may be a diesel internal combustion engine or other power source. In the embodiment illustrated, the engine drives at least one hydraulic pump (not shown) to provide hydraulic power to the various operating systems of the work machine.

[0028] As schematically illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, user interface units provided within the operator's cab may include a left pedal 202, a right pedal 204, and an auxiliary pedal 206, each associated with other elements that generate signals representing user engagement and manipulation of the respective pedal. Although not illustrated, at least the left pedal 202 and the right pedal 204 may be associated with levers mechanically fixed to them to allow, at least partially, manual control of their respective functions. The operator may use at least the left and right pedals 202, 204 to control the travel speed of the traction units 124A, 124B by moving at least the left and right pedals 202, 204 by a desired distance.

[0029] For a given operation, the operator may designate a desired speed for the motor and a desired speed for the traction unit motors by means of one or more speed inputs, and then the operator may fine-tune or adjust the travel speed of the work machine 120 using at least the left and right pedals 202, 204. The operator may also use pedals to Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 18 / 26 / 17 to control the direction of movement of the traction units by moving the pedals in the desired direction, such as forward or backward, for example. The operator can command the backward movement of the work machine by pressing a desired pedal forward (for example, applying pressure with the sole of the operator's foot) and can command the forward movement of the work machine by pressing a desired pedal backward (for example, applying pressure with the operator's heel).

[0030] Normally, the left pedal 202 generates signals representing a desired rear or front propulsion control for the left drive unit 124A, and the right pedal 204 generates signals representing a desired rear or front propulsion control for the right drive unit 124B. The auxiliary pedal 206 can often be configured to control various functions on the work machine 120, one example being a “single pedal shift” function that uses the signal generated by the auxiliary pedal 206 to equally actuate the left drive unit 124A and the right drive unit 124B of the work machine 120, providing, at least theoretically, a straight path of movement, either forward or backward.

[0031] As schematically illustrated in Figure 4, the self-propelled work machine 120 includes or is associated with a control system 200 which includes a controller 210. The controller may be part of the work machine control system 120 or may be a separate control module. The controller is optionally mounted in the operator's cab 192 at the control station 194. The machine controller may include the control panel with a display unit 216, and may be configured to receive input signals from various user interface units (e.g., foot pedals 202, 204, 206 as described above).

[0032] Although not illustrated, the 210 controller can receive input signals from other user interface units (e.g., a Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 19 / 26 / 17 keyboard, a joystick or similar) associated with other machine functions, such as the control of work implements. Also not expressly shown in Figure 4, controller 210 may receive signals from the machine control system, signals from machine location determination sensors, such as a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, ground speed sensors, direction sensors or similar, and / or work implement position sensors, such as rotary pin encoders mounted on articulation pins to detect the relative rotational positions of the respective components, linear encoders mounted on hydraulic cylinders to detect their respective extensions and similar.

[0033] Additional sensors can be supplied and configured to produce signals that represent a position, state or speed of respective actuators, for example, including hydraulic piston-cylinder units associated with respective components of the work machine.

[0034] The controller 210 can be configured to produce outputs to the display unit 216 to display information to the human operator. Additionally, or alternatively, the machine controller can be configured to generate control signals to control the operation of the respective actuators, or generate signals for indirect control through intermediate devices associated with a left-hand drive unit control system 220, a right-hand drive unit control system 222, and the like. The machine controller 210 can generate control signals to control the operation of various actuators, such as hydraulic motors or hydraulic piston-cylinder units.The controller's control signals can be received by electro-hydraulic control valves associated with the actuators, such that the electro-hydraulic control valves control the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from the respective hydraulic actuators to control their operation in response to the signal. Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 20 / 26 / 17 controller control signal.

[0035] The controller 210 may include, or be associated with, a processor 250, a computer-readable medium 252, a communication unit 254, data storage 256 such as a database network and the aforementioned display 216.

[0036] The vehicle controller described herein may be a single controller having all the functionalities described or may include multiple controllers where the described functionality is distributed among the various controllers. Data storage may generally encompass hardware, such as volatile or non-volatile storage devices, memory or other storage media, as well as one or more databases residing therein.

[0037] Not specifically shown in Figure 4, the controller 210 of the work machine 120 can, in some embodiments, receive inputs and generate outputs to remote devices associated with a user by means of a respective user interface, for example, a display unit with a touch screen interface. Data transmission between, for example, a machine control system and a remote user interface can take the form of a wireless communication system and associated components, as is conventionally known in the art. In certain embodiments, a remote user interface and vehicle control systems for respective work machines can be further coordinated or otherwise interact with a remote server or other computing device for the performance of certain operations on a system as described herein.

[0038] Various operations, steps, or algorithms “implemented by computer,” as described in connection with controller 210 or in connection with alternative but equivalent computing devices or systems, may be incorporated directly into hardware, in a Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 21 / 26 / 17 computer program product, such as a software module executed by the processor 250, or a combination of both. The computer program product may reside in RAM, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, or any other form of computer-readable medium 252 known in the art. An example of a computer-readable medium 252 may be coupled to the processor 250 such that the processor 250 can read and write information to the memory / storage medium 252. Alternatively, the computer-readable medium 252 may be an integral part of the processor 250. The processor 250 and the computer-readable medium 252 may reside in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC may reside in a user terminal.Alternatively, the 250 processor and the 252 medium can reside as distinct components in a user terminal.

[0039] The term “processor,” as used in this document, may refer to general-purpose or special-purpose processing and / or logic devices, as may be understood by one skilled in the art, including, but not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a state machine, and the like. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (for example, a combination of a digital signal processor (DSP) and a microprocessor), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0040] The communications unit 254 can support or provide communications between the machine controller 210 and external systems or devices, and / or support or provide a communication interface with respect to the internal components of the self-propelled work machine 120. The communications unit 254 may include components Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 22 / 26 / 17 of wireless communication system (e.g., via cellular modem, Wi-Fi® systems, Bluetooth® systems or similar) and / or may include one or more wired communication terminals, such as universal serial bus ports.

[0041] Referring to Figure 5, and still using an excavator as an example of the work machine 120 for illustrative purposes, an exemplary embodiment of a method of operation 300 can now be described. Unless expressly stated otherwise, various steps of the method may be performed at the level of a local work machine controller 210, at the level of a computing device associated with a work machine operator or other user, and / or at the level of one or more remote servers communicatively linked to it. Although the illustrated embodiment may include a specific arrangement of steps, inputs, outputs and the like, it may be understood that certain steps may be combined, performed in a different order or even omitted entirely in other embodiments within the scope of the present description, unless specifically noted otherwise herein.

[0042] Method 300, as illustrated, can, for example, begin at step 302 with the operation of the work machine 120 in general, or in some embodiments with the user's selection of a specific operating mode. Method 300 at step 304 includes the reception of signals from each of the user interface units 202, 204, 206, each of which can be processed in parallel for propulsion control according to at least one operating mode of the work machine. In some embodiments, at least one of the devices, such as the auxiliary user interface unit 206, can be used in some operating modes for control of auxiliary functions (i.e., not related to propulsion) of the machine, in addition to at least one operating mode for which the auxiliary inputs are processed in parallel with Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 23 / 26 / 17 the input signals of the left user interface unit 202 and the right user interface unit 204.

[0043] As noted earlier, the auxiliary user interface unit 206 can often be configured to control various functions on the work machine 120, one example being a “single pedal displacement” function to drive the left traction unit 124A and the right traction unit 124B of the work machine equally, thus providing, at least theoretically, a straight path of movement in the forward or backward direction. However, there are known problems in the conventional operation of a work machine that uses a single pedal for displacement in a “straight” direction, including the possibility of the work machine starting to drift out of course.Several illustrative reasons why a machine might begin to veer off course include, but are not limited to: slight misalignment in the machine's tracking system, causing one drive unit to operate at a slightly different speed than the other; a change in terrain where the track or road is not a straight line; different traction conditions between the left and right drive units causing slight misalignment; the machine's direction not being correctly established at the start of tracking, etc.

[0044] Returning to the modality illustrated in Figure 5, method 300 includes a step 306 in which the respective signals of the various user interface units 202, 204, 206 are normalized to a common unit, for example, percentage values ​​(%), whereby the operation in the “forward” direction generates a positive signal between 0% and 100%, and the operation in the “backward” direction generates a negative signal between 0% and -100%.

[0045] Consequently, a first user interface unit position value (i.e., left) 308, a second user interface unit position value (i.e., right) 310, and a third user interface unit position value (i.e., auxiliary) 312 are Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, pp. 24 / 26 / 17 established in a common unit structure.

[0046] With all user interface unit positions (e.g., pedal) established in common units, method 300 according to the embodiment represented in Figure 5 continues in step 314 by determining a left shift command value by summing the position value of the first user interface unit 308 and the position value of the third user interface unit 312, and continues in step 316 by determining a right shift command value by summing the position value of the second user interface unit 310 and the position value of the third user interface unit 312. This produces respective left and right shift command values, which can range from -200% to 200%.

[0047] If the summed values ​​for the left shift command value and the right shift command value remain less than 100% (i.e., “no” in response to the query in step 318), these commands can be applied directly in step 322 to the left and right shift functions on the work machine, respectively. In this case, the use of both sets of pedals simply creates an additive effect in relation to the overall tracking function of the machine.

[0048] If the summed values ​​for the left shift command value and the right shift command value result in a magnitude greater than 100% (i.e., “yes” in response to the query in step 318), method 300 can continue in step 320 normalizing the values ​​back to a range of + / - 100%. This can, in one embodiment, be accomplished by dividing both signals by the maximum of the two signals, for example, as shown below: Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 25 / 26 17 / 17 Left shift command Left shift command _ _______________________________________________________ Left shift command. Right shift command) , Right shift command Right displacement command _ _______________________________________________________ MAXf Left displacement command. Right displacement command)

[0049] This technique for reducing the return signals to a range of + / - 100% has the potential effect of reducing the command of a traction unit when the operator is trying to inject a signal into the opposite traction unit. Someone knowledgeable in the field might realize that this actually has the effect of causing the machine to correct its course in the direction desired by the operator, but by slowing down one traction unit instead of speeding up the other.

[0050] As used in this document, the phrase “one or more of,” when used with a list of items, means that different combinations of one or more items may be used and only one of each item in the list may be required. For example, “one or more of” item A, item B, and item C may include, for example, without limitation, item A or item A and item B. This example may also include item A, item B, and item C, or item B and item C.

[0051] Thus, it is observed that the apparatus and methods of the present description readily achieve the aforementioned ends and advantages, as well as those inherent in them. Although certain preferred embodiments of the description have been illustrated and described for the purposes present, numerous changes in the arrangement and construction of parts and steps can be made by those skilled in the art, changes which are encompassed within the scope and spirit of the present description, as defined by the appended claims. Each described feature or embodiment can be combined with any of the other described features or embodiments. Petition 870260022465, dated 11 / 03 / 2026, page 26 / 26

Claims

1 / 3 CLAIMS 1. Method (300) for controlling a plurality of traction units (124) configured to operate independently in the forward or rear directions to propel a work machine (120) across a ground surface (128), characterized in that the method comprises: receiving electronic signals during the operation of the work machine, comprising: first signals representing user engagement (304, 308) of a first user interface unit (202) to command a traction unit on a first side (124A) of the work machine; second signals representing user engagement (304, 310) of a second user interface unit (204) to command a traction unit on a second side (124B) of the work machine;and third signals representing user engagement (304, 312) of a third user interface unit (206) to command each of the traction units on the first and second sides (124A, 124B) of the work machine; combine the first and third signals to generate a first displacement command value (314), and combine the second and third signals to generate a second displacement command value (316); and generate control signals (322) for one or more actuators to control (220) the traction unit on the first side of the work machine based on the first displacement command value, and control (222) the traction unit on the second side of the work machine based on the second displacement command value.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the values ​​corresponding to each of the first, second and third signs are normalized to a common unit structure (306). Petition 870250059025, dated 10 / 07 / 2025, page 33 / 41 2 / 3 3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the structure of the common unit comprises percentage values ​​(%), wherein the engagement of a user interface unit to command one or more traction units in a forward direction generates a positive value between 0% and 100%, and the engagement of a user interface unit to command one or more traction units in a rear direction generates a negative value between -100% and 0%.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that: for first and second displacement command values ​​less than 100%, control signals are generated to control the respective traction units based on them (318); and for first and second displacement command values ​​greater than 100%, the respective displacement command values ​​are normalized back to a range of + / - 100% and control signals are generated to control the respective traction units based on them (320).

5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the first and second displacement command values ​​are normalized back to a range of + / - 100%, dividing each command value respectively by a maximum of the first and second displacement command values ​​(320).

6. Work machine (120), characterized in that it comprises: a plurality of traction units (124) configured to operate independently in the rear or front directions to propel the work machine across a ground surface (128); a first user interface unit (204) configured by user engagement to generate first signals Petition 870250059025, dated 10 / 07 / 2025, page.34 / 41 3 / 3 (308) to control a traction unit (124A) on a first side of the work machine; a second user interface unit (206) configured by user engagement to generate second signals (310) to control a traction unit (124B) on a second side of the work machine; a third user interface unit (208) configured by user engagement to generate third signals (312) to control each of the traction units (124A, 124B) on the first and second sides of the work machine; a data processing and control system (200) configured to direct the performance of steps in a method (300) as defined in any of claims 1 to 5. Petition 870250059025, dated 10 / 07 / 2025, pp. 35 / 41.

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