System and method for determining differential implement penetration

Abstract

A method of identifying an invalid blade penetration by a blade-based machine at a worksite includes attempting to cut an area of a ground surface by the blade-based machine at the worksite; determining that the cut is invalid based on determining a threshold cut volume implemented by the blade-based machine, the threshold cut volume based on input from one or more position sensors on the blade-based machine; and initiating one or more remedial actions based on determining an invalid cut by the blade-based machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to determining poor implement penetration and, more particularly, to determining poor implement penetration and initiating one or more remedial actions based thereon. Background Art

[0002] Machines such as bulldozers, motor graders, loaders, etc. can perform tasks at a worksite. For example, these machines can move or level elements according to a worksite plan. Machines with autonomous capabilities can operate in an autonomous or semi-autonomous manner to perform these tasks as part of the machine's worksite plan. The machine can receive instructions according to the worksite plan to autonomously or semi-autonomously perform operations such as digging, scraping, carrying, etc. at the worksite.

[0003] Machines with autonomous capabilities can maintain consistent productivity in many environments with little or no human intervention. Some of these environments may be inappropriate or undesirable for (one or more) human operators. In addition, some worksites may have unknown or unplanned obstacles that hinder work. For example, hard or compacted materials (e.g., rocky or frozen terrain) may be impenetrable to the blade of a bulldozer or another implement of a mobile machine. Such obstacles may be known or unknown to the site planners and may require different levels of intervention to resolve.

[0004] U.S. Patent No. 10,066,367 ("the '367 patent") describes a system configured to be mounted to a vehicle to adjust the position of an implement (e.g., a blade) during autonomous operation of the vehicle. The vehicle may monitor the height, tilt angle, and / or load of the implement during operation and adjust one or more parameters associated with the implement to achieve a desired terrain profile. However, the '367 patent does not address remedial action to loosen hard or compacted material in all circumstances.

[0005] Features of the present disclosure may address one or more of the above problems and / or other problems in the art. However, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and is not limited by the ability to solve any particular problem. Summary of the invention

[0006] In one aspect, a method for identifying ineffective blade penetrations performed by a blade-based machine at a worksite comprises: attempting to cut an area of ​​ground at the worksite by the blade-based machine; determining that the cut was ineffective based on determining a threshold cut volume achieved by the blade-based machine, the threshold cut volume being based on input from one or more position sensors on the blade-based machine; and initiating one or more remedial actions based on determining the ineffective cut performed by the blade-based machine.

[0007] On the other hand, a method for evaluating cut penetration of a cut performed using a mobile machine and generating one or more remedial actions based thereon comprises: determining an initial chassis angle of a chassis of the mobile machine; determining an initial pitch angle of a blade of the mobile machine; moving the blade from the initial pitch angle to a cutting angle; determining a secondary chassis angle of the mobile machine; determining a secondary pitch angle of the mobile machine; and taking one or more remedial actions based on a difference between the initial pitch angle and the secondary pitch angle and a difference between the initial chassis angle and the secondary chassis angle.

[0008] On the other hand, a system for determining whether ground is not penetrable by the blade of a blade-based machine and initiating one or more remedial actions based on the determination, the system comprising: a blade-based machine, the blade-based machine comprising a blade and one or more position sensors on the blade-based machine; and a controller, the controller configured to: attempt to cut an area of ​​ground using the blade of the blade-based machine; determine a threshold cutting volume, the threshold cutting volume having a minimum blade penetration required to achieve the threshold cutting volume; determine whether the threshold cutting volume can be achieved based on input from one or more position sensors on the blade-based machine; and initiating one or more remedial actions based on the inability to achieve the threshold cutting volume to penetrate the ground. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments.

[0010] Figure 1A is a schematic representation of a mobile machine cutting along a desired terrain profile, the mobile machine including a system for performing the cutting using one or more systems having autonomous capabilities, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 1B shows the desired terrain profile after the cut is completed. Figure 1A Mobile machines.

[0012] Figure 2 is used to Figure 1A and 1B Schematic representation of a mobile machine with a network communicatively coupled to an apparatus and another mobile machine.

[0013] Figure 3A is similar to Figure 1A A schematic representation of a mobile machine using one or more sensors to determine sufficient cut penetration.

[0014] Figure 3Bshows a scenario in which insufficient cutting penetration can be detected using input from a sensor Figure 3A Mobile machines.

[0015] Figure 4A The invention shows that sensors at various locations on the body of a mobile machine can be used to determine the scene of sufficient cutting penetration. Figure 3A Mobile machines.

[0016] Figure 4B Shows Figure 4A Mobile machines, which can be based on Figure 4A The sensor determines insufficient cut penetration.

[0017] Figure 5A The invention shows that sensors at various locations on the body of a mobile machine can be used to determine the scene of sufficient cutting penetration. Figure 3A Mobile machines.

[0018] Figure 5B Shows Figure 5A Mobile machines, which can be based on Figure 5A The sensor determines insufficient cut penetration.

[0019] Figure 6 A controller is shown for initiating one or more remedial actions based on determining insufficient cut penetration.

[0020] Figure 7 Shown based on the use of Figure 1A and 1B The system determines the process of insufficient cutting penetration causing one or more remedial actions.

[0021] Figure 8 Shown based on Figure 3A and 3B The differences between the angles of various components of a moving machine give rise to a course of one or more remedial actions.

[0022] Fig. 9 Shown based on Figure 4A , 4B , 5A and 5B, the differences in position between the various sensors on the body of the mobile machine cause a process for one or more remedial actions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and illustrative only and do not limit the claimed features. As used herein, the terms "comprise," "comprising," "has," "having," "include," "including," or other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements includes not only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In this disclosure, unless otherwise indicated, relative terms, such as, for example, "about," "substantially," and "approximately," are used to indicate a possible variation of ±10% of the stated value.

[0024] Figure 1A A mobile machine 101 is shown including a system 100 for causing one or more remedial actions based on determining differential implement penetration, as described in more detail herein. As shown, the mobile machine 101 is a blade-based machine (i.e., a track-type tractor including a blade), but other types of vehicles are contemplated and the systems and methods described herein may be implemented. For example, a motor grader, a backhoe loader, etc. The equipment implementing the systems and methods described herein may be track-based or wheel-based. The mobile machine 101 includes a base 102 (or chassis) including a right track 104 and a left track (not shown), a body 106, and a ground engaging work implement such as a blade 110. The body may include a cabin 108. Figure 1A In the exemplary embodiment shown, the implement is a blade, but other implements are possible. The blade 110 can be movably connected to one or more of the body 106 and the base 102 using an arm 112. The arm 112 can enable the blade 110 to move through various postures and positions (e.g., pitch, roll, swing), as described in more detail herein. For example, one or more hydraulic cylinders connected to the mobile machine 101 can support the blade 110 in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, thereby allowing the blade 110 to move vertically up and down and / or allowing the pitch angle of the blade 110 to change relative to the centerline (not shown) of the mobile machine 101. The hydraulic system (not shown) may include sensors for monitoring the pressure within the system and the pressure of a specific cylinder. In some embodiments, the mobile machine 101 may be configured to communicate externally, and may communicate externally to receive information captured by, for example, a drone 145. The drone 145 may have various perception systems on board, which may enable terrain imaging and / or mapping. For example, the drone 145 may include one or more cameras and / or a laser radar system.

[0025] The mobile machine 101 includes various systems for determining its position and orientation in space and / or the position and orientation of one or more of its components (e.g., blade 110) in space. For example, the mobile machine 101 may include one or more global positioning systems (GPS) 114, one or more inertial measurement units (IMU) 116, and a blade position sensor 118. In some embodiments, one or more of the blade position sensors 118 are IMUs. The GPS 114, IMU 116, and blade position sensor 118 may be position sensors that are part of a perception system of the mobile machine, which may include other active and passive sensors and devices (e.g., lidar, radar, sonar, visual cameras, etc.) to sense the environment around the mobile machine 101. The mobile machine 101 may be configured to operate autonomously or be remotely controlled (e.g., by a control center), or may have one or more autonomous or remote capabilities implemented by a control system. The control system may be located on the machine 101 and / or may be located at a command center (not shown) located away from the machine. In some embodiments, the functions of the control system can be distributed so that certain functions are performed at the machine 101 and other functions are performed at the command center. For example, a network system such as a wireless network system (not shown) can provide general commands or information to the machine 101, which various parts of the control system on the machine 101 can use to generate specific commands to operate various systems. In some embodiments, various aspects of the control system remote from the machine 101 can provide some or all of the specific commands, which are then transmitted to the machine's systems by the wireless network system. The mobile machine 101 can be one of several machines operating at a worksite, each of which can communicate with the wireless network system.

[0026] Still reference Figure 1A, the mobile machine 101 can be used to form one or more cuts (i.e., remove or move dirt or other elements) from a terrain surface such as a current terrain surface 120. The mobile machine 101 can be configured to autonomously remove elements from a terrain surface based on one or more specifications or plans received, for example, from a remote operator or planner ("remote controller"). The mobile machine 101 can be configured to remove elements based on, for example, a target cut profile 122. The target cut profile 122 can be a profile or terrain plan of a desired cut or slope for removing elements from a worksite, which can be generated, for example, using one or more terrain mapping modules in, for example, terrain mapping software. In some embodiments, the system 100 can be configured to, for example, measure the real-time position of the mobile machine 101 and / or the blade 110, generate instructions to move the mobile machine 101 and / or the blade 110, and plot a path of the mobile machine 101 to a point on the terrain plan to generate one or more cuts. The target cut profile 122 has a target cut volume 123 (i.e., the volume of the element that needs to be moved to perform the target cut), and can be based on the current terrain profile and the desired terrain profile. The target cutting volume 123 can be scaled, for example, based on the size of the blade 110. In some embodiments, the target cutting profile 122 can take the form of multiple target cuttings, each of which is a portion of the complete target cutting profile (e.g., multiple partial target cuttings, each partial target cutting having a partial target cutting volume). The current terrain profile can be determined, for example, using GPS tracking mapping, one or more perception systems (e.g., vehicle-based perception systems), drone terrain mapping (e.g., using visual or lidar image data captured by drone 145), satellite imagery, etc.

[0027] Reference now Figure 1B , showing the topographic surface 120' after cutting has been performed Figure 1A of the mobile machine 101. The terrain surface 120' will change based on the cutting. Figure 1BThe remaining cutting volume 124 of the target cutting profile 122 is shown. The remaining cutting volume 124 is the portion of the target cutting volume (based on the target cutting profile 122) remaining after cutting. However, there may be some portions of the components that are removed and / or displaced after cutting, and this removed / displaced portion of the components can be referred to as the actual cutting volume 126. Therefore, the actual cutting volume 126 can be equal to the target cutting volume (as determined based on the target cutting profile 122) minus the remaining cutting volume 124, and vice versa. As described in more detail herein, as measured by various systems and components of the mobile machine 101 and connected to the mobile machine, if the ratios between these various volumes indicate that the cutting is unsuccessful, any combination of ratios can be used to generate remedial actions. For example, if it is determined that the actual cutting volume is 95% of the target cutting volume, no remedial cutting or other remedial measures may be triggered. As a second example, if the actual cutting volume is only 60% of the target cutting volume, remedial actions (e.g., additional cutting and other remedial measures as described herein) can be triggered.

[0028] In some embodiments, the mobile machine 101 can determine a threshold cutting volume, and remedial action can be initiated based on the determined cutting volume not exceeding the threshold cutting volume. The threshold cutting volume can be, for example, 1% of the target cutting volume, 2% of the target cutting volume, 5% of the target cutting volume, etc. In some embodiments, the mobile machine 101 and / or associated systems can make a determination about the efficacy of the cutting based on the threshold cutting volume. The threshold cutting volume can be based on input from one or more position sensors on the mobile machine 101, as described in more detail herein. Therefore, if the mobile machine 101 identifies an ineffective cut by the mobile machine 101 as determined by comparison of the cut with the threshold cutting volume, it can initiate remedial action. In some embodiments, the threshold cutting volume can involve a calculated minimum blade penetration implemented using one or more position sensors.

[0029] refer to Figure 2 , shows a network 152 for communicatively coupling a mobile machine 101 with another mobile machine 158 and an apparatus 154 including a display 156. The mobile machine 101 may be able to contact one or more other mobile machines, such as other mobile machines 158 or a user of a system using the apparatus 154, based on, for example, determining poor blade penetration as described herein. The other mobile machines may have additional or alternative implements (e.g., aerator 160), and if the blade 110 ( Figure 1A) cannot penetrate the terrain, the additional or alternative implements may be used to penetrate the terrain. Network 152 may be, for example, a distributed network (e.g., a cloud network) that may provide data storage, connectivity, and computing power sufficient to perform at least some of the example functions described herein. In some embodiments, other devices or systems may be communicatively coupled to network 152 (e.g., Figure 1A The mobile machine 101 may utilize the network 152 to request one or more remedial actions. For example, the mobile machine 101 may display a prompt to the user on the display 156 indicating poor blade penetration, so that the user may initiate one or more manually implemented remedial measures (e.g., remotely using a device such as device 154, or locally causing the mobile machine 101 to perform another autonomous pass using the blade 110, perform an autonomous loosening pass, cause another mobile machine 158 to perform a pass, etc.). As another example, the mobile machine 101 may request that another mobile machine 158 perform a pass over the area of ​​insufficient penetration. The other mobile machine 158 may be a larger mobile machine with a greater capacity and / or ability to penetrate the ground at the worksite. These are merely exemplary remedial actions, and other actions are possible.

[0030] Reference now Figures 3A-5B , depicts a mobile machine 201. The mobile machine 201 may be substantially similar to Figure 1A The mobile machine 101 may include a base 202 including a right track 204 and a left track (not shown), a body 206 and a blade 210 , and the body may include a cabin 208 . Figure 3A The exemplary embodiment shown in includes a blade, but other implements are possible. The blade 210 can be movably coupled to one or more of the body 206 and the base 202 using an arm 212. The arm 212 can be capable of moving the blade 210 through various dimensions, as described in more detail herein. The mobile machine 201 includes various systems for determining its position and orientation in space and / or the position and orientation of one or more of its component parts (e.g., the blade 210) in space. For example, the mobile machine 201 can include one or more GPS 114, one or more inertial IMUs 116, and one or more blade position sensors 118. In some embodiments, one or more of the blade position sensors 118 are IMUs. The mobile machine 201 can be configured to communicatively couple to an external system (e.g., a drone, such as the drone 145 of FIG. 1 ) or a network (e.g., Figure 2 network 152), and may be configured to operate autonomously or to be remotely controlled, or may have one or more autonomous or remote capabilities.

[0031] Reference now Figure 1A-5B, GPS 114 can be configured to determine the location of mobile machine 101 or mobile machine 201, which can be embodied as GPS data, as specifically referenced herein Figure 6 The GPS 114 may be configured to receive one or more signals from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) (e.g., a GPS system) to determine the precise location and / or orientation of the mobile machine 101 by geolocation. In some embodiments, the GPS 114 may provide input to one or more digital maps or site plans (e.g., elevation maps that may include one or more raster layers or other semantic layers), or be configured to interact with, update, or otherwise utilize one or more digital maps or site plans. In some embodiments, the GPS 114 is configured to receive updates from an external network. The updates may include one or more of location data, speed / direction data, site plan data, weather data, or other types of data about the mobile machine 101 and its environment.

[0032] IMU 116 can be an electronic device that measures and reports one or more characteristics of the movement of a mobile machine and / or its components (e.g., blade 110). For example, IMU 116 can use a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and / or magnetometers to measure the speed, acceleration, angular rate, and / or orientation of one or more of the mobile machine 101 or its various components. IMU 116 can detect linear acceleration using one or more accelerometers and detect rotation rate using one or more gyroscopes. In some embodiments, IMU 116 can be communicatively connected to one or more other systems, such as GPS 114, and can provide input to GPS 114 and receive output from it, which can allow components of system 100 to continue to perform dead reckoning on the position and / or orientation of mobile machine 101 even when GPS 114 cannot receive satellite signals. In some embodiments, blade position sensor 118 includes one or more IMUs such as IMU 116.

[0033] refer to Figures 3A-5B , the mobile machine 201 is used to perform a cut in the current terrain profile 220 based on the target terrain profile 222. The current terrain profile can be determined, for example, using GPS tracking mapping, one or more perception systems (e.g., vehicle-based perception systems), drone terrain mapping (e.g., using vision or lidar image data), satellite imagery, etc. The target cut profile 222 can be a profile of a desired cut or slope for removing a component from the worksite, which can be generated, for example, using one or more terrain mapping modules in, for example, terrain mapping software.

[0034] Figure 6An exemplary controller 500 for controlling one or more aspects of the mobile machine 101 or the mobile machine 201 is shown. The controller 500 can receive inputs 501 and generate outputs 503. For example, the controller 500 can receive GPS data 502, IMU system data 504, blade sensor system data 506, and external data 507 (e.g., terrain mapping data from the drone 145 of FIG. 1). The controller 500 can include a memory 508, which can store, for example, one or more site plans for generating one or more target cutting profiles. The controller can include, for example, a cutting plan module 510, a cutting measurement module 512, and an orientation module 514. The controller 500 can generate outputs 503 in response to the received input data. The outputs 503 can include, for example, a loosening pass signal 516 (e.g., using an aerator, such as the aerator 160 of the larger mobile machine 158), a blade adjustment signal 518, an external signal 520, and / or a manual control signal 522.

[0035] The controller 500 may include a data processor, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, a logic circuit, a programmable logic array, or one or more other devices for controlling the mobile machine 101 in response to one or more inputs 501. The controller 500 may be embodied as a single microprocessor or multiple microprocessors, which may include devices for automatically calculating and selecting candidate trajectories. For example, the controller 500 may include a memory, a secondary storage device, and a processor, such as a central processing unit or any other device for completing tasks according to the present disclosure. The memory or secondary storage device associated with the controller 500 may store information that may help the controller 500 perform its functions (e.g., the information provided herein with respect to the present invention). Figure 6 In addition, the memory or secondary storage associated with the controller 500 may also store data and / or software routines that perform the functions of the exemplary process 600 described herein. In addition, the memory or secondary storage device associated with the controller 500 may also store data received from various inputs associated with the mobile machine 101. Many commercially available microprocessors can be configured to perform the functions of the controller 500. It should be appreciated that the controller 500 can be easily embodied as a general purpose machine controller capable of controlling many other machine functions. Alternatively, a dedicated machine controller may be provided. In addition, the controller 500 or portions thereof may be located remotely from the mobile machine 101. Various other known circuits may be associated with the controller 500, including signal conditioning circuits, communication circuits, hydraulic or other actuation circuits, and other appropriate circuits.

[0036] The memory 508 may store software-based components, including various modules, to perform the various processes and techniques of the controller 500 described herein. The memory 508 may store one or more machine-readable and executable software instructions, software codes, or executable computer programs that may be executed by a processor of the controller 500. The software instructions may further be embodied in one or more routines, subroutines, or modules, and may utilize various auxiliary libraries and input / output functions to communicate with other devices, modules, or aspects of the mobile machine 101.

[0037] The cutting plan module 510 can plan one or more cuts for a given worksite or job based on requirements using input to the controller 500. For example, the cutting plan module 510 can determine a target cutting profile, which can include a target cutting volume. The cutting plan module 510 can plan a single cut for a given volume, or can divide the target cut into multiple partial target cuts. The cutting plan module 510 can receive GPS data 502 and IMU system data 504, for example, to determine the cuts to be made using the blade 110. For example, the cutting plan module 510 can locate the three-dimensional geographic starting and ending points of a particular cut. The cutting plan module 510 can use data generated by sensors and systems on the mobile machine 101 and / or external data 507 (e.g., terrain mapping data such as from the drone 145 of Figure 1) to plan the cuts.

[0038] The cutting measurement module 512 can use one or more system inputs to measure the cutting performed based on the principles described herein. For example, the cutting measurement module 512 can use one or more of the GPS data 502, the IMU system data 504, the blade sensor system data 506 and / or the external data 507 to measure the cutting volume of a given cutting. The cutting measurement module 512 can use various data inputs to track the volume of the cutting using the relative geographic coordinates and / or relative positions of various sensors onboard the mobile machine 101 during or after the cutting is completed. The cutting measurement module 512 can compare the measured cutting with the target cutting to determine the volume of the actual cutting, as described in more detail herein. The cutting measurement module 512 can use the data generated by the sensors and systems on the mobile machine 101 and / or the external data 507 (e.g., terrain mapping data from the drone 145 of FIG. 1) to measure and compare the cutting.

[0039] The orientation module 514 may receive inputs from the various system inputs 501 and may determine whether a cutting pass was successful based on the system inputs. For example, the orientation module 514 may receive one or more of the GPS data 502, the IMU system data 504, the blade sensor system data 506, and / or the external data 507, which the orientation module may use to determine differences in orientation and / or position relative to the various sensors that generated the received data. In some embodiments, the received data (e.g., position and orientation data) may be tracked over time to determine how the mobile machine 101 and its various components move relative to various objects in the environment surrounding the mobile machine 101 (e.g., the ground, terrain, etc.) and various parts of the mobile machine 101 itself (e.g., how the blade moves relative to the chassis, how the front of the track moves relative to the rear of the track, etc.).

[0040] Output 503 includes a thinning pass signal 516, a blade adjustment signal 518, an external signal 520, and a manual control signal 522. Thinning pass signal 516 can be an output generated within controller 500 that causes mobile machine 101 to perform a thinning pass in order to try to break up terrain that blade 210 penetrates poorly. Blade adjustment signal 518 can cause mobile machine 101 to adjust blade orientation, position, or other aspects in order to better penetrate the terrain in which it works. External signal 520 can be a signal sent to another mobile machine or other device that can cause other devices to try to cut terrain that mobile machine 101 cannot cut. For example, mobile machine 101 can call another larger machine and / or a machine with a different cutting tool (e.g., a thinner). Manual control signal 522 can be a signal sent to a manual operator of mobile machine 101 that can cause a manual operator (e.g., a remote operator) to control mobile machine 101 locally or remotely to try to cut terrain.

[0041] Industrial Applicability

[0042] Reference now Figure 7 , showing the use of Figure 1A , 1B The process 600 of determining and compensating for poor blade penetration of the system of 5. The process 600 is exemplary and may be implemented using more or fewer steps or other features and aspects as shown in the exemplary illustrations.

[0043] At step 602, a target cut profile 122 including a target cut volume may be determined. The target cut profile 122 may be determined, for example, based on input from one or more of the mobile machine 101 (e.g., from GPS 114, IMU 116, etc.), the drone 145 (e.g., from camera and / or lidar data), or other inputs that may be used to generate a plan view of the worksite and may include features such as slope, grade lines, cutting plans, and other features and / or patterns of the worksite. Figure 1A The target cutting profile 122 shown in FIG. 1 is two-dimensional, but in practice, the target cutting profile 122 is a three-dimensional plan that the mobile machine 101 can follow to remove components from the worksite. The target cutting profile 122 can be stored on the mobile machine 101, for example, in the memory 508, in another module of the controller 500, or in another location. In some embodiments, the target cutting profile 122 may not be stored locally on the mobile machine 101, but may be received, for example, using an external connection.

[0044] At step 604, the mobile machine 101 may attempt to perform a cut of the terrain, attempting to follow or cut along the target cutting profile 122, using, for example, a blade 110 or another implement suitable for the cutting profile. The blade 110 may scrape, push, dig, or otherwise move elements to form the cut. If the target portion of the ground beneath the mobile machine 101 is too hard for the blade 110 to penetrate, the mobile machine 101 may only drive on the element at the target cutting profile 122 without actually penetrating the element, and thus may not push any element or may push very little element. Thus, instead of penetrating the terrain and performing the desired cut, the mobile machine 101 may only move some of the desired cutting profile, if it moves at all. More specifically, the blade 110 may not penetrate, such that the mobile machine 101 may cut to a threshold cutting volume. As shown in FIG. Figure 1B As shown in , the actual cutting volume 126 is moved or removed from the target cutting profile 122 .

[0045] At step 606, the mobile machine 101 may determine the actual cut volume 126 of the cut performed at step 604. As described above, the actual cut performed may not necessarily equal the target cut volume 123, especially for terrain that is difficult to cut (e.g., hard terrain such as rock, ice, etc.). To determine the actual cut volume 126, the mobile machine may calculate the volume based on the position of its various sensors over time. The sensors (i.e., GPS 114 and various IMUs) will move as the mobile machine 101 moves to perform its cuts and track their positions as they move. The orientation of the various sensors along the tracks may be used to determine the volume of the cut.

[0046] At step 608, the mobile machine 101 can compare the target cutting volume 123 with the actual cutting volume 126 (the system 100 can determine, for example, the remaining cutting volume 124), and can determine whether a threshold cutting volume has been achieved. The threshold cutting volume can be, for example, 1% of the target cutting volume, 2% of the target cutting volume, 5% of the target cutting volume, etc. The threshold cutting volume is how the system 100 determines whether additional cutting and / or other remedial actions need to occur. A cut greater than the threshold cutting volume can indicate to the system that the cut was effective. A cut less than the threshold cutting volume can indicate an ineffective cut.

[0047] At step 610, the mobile machine 101 may cause one or more remedial actions to occur. For example, the mobile machine 101 may perform a second pass over the target terrain to try and perform a second cut or multiple cuts along the target cutting profile 122. Additionally, the mobile machine 101 may cause the blade tilt angle 150 ( Figure 1B ) adjustments. That is, the mobile machine 101 can use, for example, a blade control signal to tilt the blade at an angle more suitable for cutting in the terrain. In some embodiments, the mobile machine 101 can generate an external signal (e.g., a paging signal) that can page another mobile machine to perform a second cutting pass on the target cutting profile 122. For example, the mobile machine 101 can call a second, larger machine with a different type and / or larger tool for cutting the target cutting profile 122. In some embodiments, after the remote or local manual operator receives the manual control signal 522 generated by the mobile machine 101, the remote or local manual operator can manually control the mobile machine 101.

[0048] Reference now Figure 3A , 3B 8, a method for determining whether sufficient penetration has been achieved with an implement and generating one or more actions in response thereto is shown. The mobile machine 201 includes a blade sensor 118 (which may be similar to the IMU 116) at the blade 210, and determines the position and / or orientation of the blade 210 based on signals from the blade sensor 118. The mobile machine 201 also includes the IMU 116, which may generate a position and / or orientation signal based on the position / orientation of the mobile machine 201. Specifically, the blade sensor 118 and the IMU 116 are configured to generate an angle of the blade 210 and the body 206 (or chassis) of the mobile machine 201.

[0049] At step 702, the mobile machine 201 may determine a target cutting volume, which may include a threshold cutting volume. At step 704, the mobile machine 201 may determine an initial chassis angle of the chassis of the mobile machine 201. The initial chassis angle may be determined, for example, using an IMU 116 that may be coupled to the body 206 of the mobile machine 201. At step 706, the mobile machine 201 may determine an initial pitch angle at the blade of the mobile machine. The initial pitch angle may be determined, for example, using a blade sensor 118. As used herein, the terms chassis angle and pitch angle of the blade (or simply "pitch angle") refer to the angles of the chassis and blade, respectively, measured relative to gravity. More specifically, the pitch angle of the blade does not refer to the "blade angle" that is typically used to refer to the blade angle of an implement relative to the chassis of the mobile machine. As Figure 3A As shown in , the mobile machine 201 can move forward along the current terrain profile 220. The mobile machine 101 may include a desired terrain profile 222 programmed into its controller (e.g., in the memory 508 of the controller). The mobile machine 201 must cut the current terrain profile 220 in order to achieve the desired terrain profile 222. A diagram showing the pitch angles 224a, 224b of the blade and the chassis angles 226a, 226b is shown, which will Figure 3A and 3B The pitch angle of the blade is compared to the chassis angle for the two scenarios depicted in .

[0050] At step 708, the mobile machine 201 may move the blade 210 from its position at the initial pitch angle to the cutting angle. For example, the mobile machine 201 may apply hydraulic pressure to one or more hydraulic cylinders in an attempt to force the blade 210 down into the composition (ie, perform the cut).

[0051] At step 710, the mobile machine 201 may determine a secondary chassis angle of the mobile machine 201 with the blade 210 in a cutting position relative to the body 206 of the mobile machine 201. At step 712, the mobile machine 201 may determine a secondary pitch angle of the blade of the mobile machine 201. Figure 3A and 3B As shown in , if the blade 210 of the mobile machine 201 experiences good penetration, the chassis angle will follow the pitch angle in a lagging manner. That is, the graphical representation of the angles achieved by the two will generally decrease and then return to neutral as the blade is lowered and then the chassis is subsequently lowered. However, if the blade does not penetrate or only partially penetrates, such as Figure 3B As shown in , the blade position will change relative to the chassis (i.e., the hydraulic cylinder is pressurized to lower the arm 212), but the chassis angle may actually increase because the blade is pushed down hard but may not fully penetrate or may not penetrate the composition (e.g., rock, ice, etc.). As a result, the chassis may lift from the ground, and a difference between the pitch angle of the blade and the chassis angle may occur.

[0052] Figure 3A A scenario for achieving good cutting penetration is shown. The mobile machine 201 travels forward from a first position 230 to a second position 232. At the second position 232, the mobile machine 201 lowers its blade from the current terrain profile 220 into the ground to reach the desired terrain profile 222. The blade 210 encounters no significant resistance and is not blocked from penetrating the terrain. Therefore, the blade 210 is lowered to the desired angle in the terrain. As the mobile machine 201 continues to move from the second position 232 to the third position 234, the chassis of the mobile machine 201 will follow the blade 210, and the blade 210 and the mobile machine 201 remain in the desired terrain profile 222 from the third position 232 to the fourth position 236. The motion of the mobile machine 201 and the blade is graphically depicted in the diagram of the pitch angle 224a of the blade and the chassis angle 226a. As the blade 210 moves from a neutral angle (first position) to negative angles (second and third positions) and back to a neutral angle (fourth position), the chassis angle 226a smoothly follows the blade's pitch angle 224a.

[0053] Figure 3B A scenario in which sufficient blade penetration is not achieved is shown. That is, the blade 210 penetrates only a small amount and does not penetrate the current terrain profile 220 to reach the desired terrain profile 222. When the mobile machine 201 moves from the first position 230' to the second position 232', the blade 210 moves from the neutral angle to the negative angle to start cutting. However, the ground is only semi-penetrable, so the hydraulic force generated in the arm 212 on the blade actually causes the body 206 of the mobile machine 201 to lift from the ground or otherwise indicate insufficient blade penetration to the mobile machine. The pitch angle of the blade is negative because the blade is not on the same plane as the body of the mobile machine 201, but the blade does not fully cut the terrain. Therefore, when the mobile machine 201 moves from the second position 232' to the third position 234' and the fourth position 236', the angle of the chassis of the mobile machine 201 does not follow the pitch angle of the blade. The figure of the body angle 224b and the pitch angle 226b of the blade shows this deviation. Based on this deviation, the mobile machine 201 can cause one or more remedial actions to occur.

[0054] At step 714, the mobile machine 201 can compare the initial position and the secondary position to determine whether the threshold cutting volume has been achieved. That is, if the secondary position of the chassis and the pitch angle of the blade do not follow their expected effective cutting path, the system 100 can determine that the threshold cutting volume has not been achieved.

[0055] At step 716, the mobile machine 201 can take one or more remedial actions based on the difference between the initial pitch angle and the secondary pitch angle and the difference between the initial chassis angle and the secondary chassis angle (e.g., if the system determines that the threshold cut volume is not achieved). For example, the mobile machine can perform a loosening pass at the target cut profile, can make adjustments to the blade tilt angle of the blade, can page a second machine to perform a cutting pass at the target cut profile, and can perform a manually controlled pass at the target cut profile.

[0056] Figure 4A The scenes depicted in / 4B and 5A / 5B are similar to Figure 3A The scenarios depicted in / 3B are similar in that they use input from an IMU or other sensor to determine the efficacy of the cut, except that instead of using the chassis angle and / or the pitch angle of the blade, they use one or more punch profiles determined at one or more locations on the body of the mobile machine 201 (e.g., at the blade, at the track, etc.). As used herein, the term "punch profile" refers to the location / orientation / GPS metadata that is tagged, geotagged, or otherwise attached to data from a given GPS or IMU sensor at a given time. In some embodiments, the system 100 can have a particular north / east location tagged with two measured elevations (e.g., blade elevation and front track elevation, front track elevation and rear track elevation, etc.). In some embodiments, a leading location can be tagged (or "punched") with an elevation, and subsequently (e.g., one second later, two seconds later, three seconds later, etc.) a trailing location can be punched. Figure 4A and 4B A scenario is shown in which a stamping profile is determined at the blade edge 210a and the front portion of the right track 204. In the exemplary scenario, the stamping profile is determined using the blade sensor 118 (which may be embodied by an IMU), the IMU 116, and a global positioning reference sensor (e.g., GPS 114). Figure 4A and 4B , a mobile machine 201 is shown. The IMU 116 at the front of the tracks 204 can generate front track profiles 324a, 324b, and the blade sensor 118 can generate blade edge profiles 326a, 326b. The front track stamping location can generally be near the front side of one or both of the left track (not shown) and the right track 204. Due to its location near the front of the blade, the front track stamping location 302 can generally follow the position of the blade when the mobile machine 201 experiences good penetration of the blade when performing a cut.

[0057] refer to Figure 4A , 4B9, describing process 800. The current terrain profile 220 is shown as being above the desired cutting profile 222. At step 802, the mobile machine 201 can determine a target cutting volume, which can include a threshold cutting volume. At step 804, the mobile machine 201 determines an initial position at a first location on the mobile machine 201. The first location is at the blade edge 210a, and the location is determined based on the blade sensor 118. At step 806, the mobile machine 201 determines an initial position at a second location on the mobile machine 201. The second location is the front of the crawler 204. As the mobile machine moves from the first location 330 to the second location 332 and continues to the third location 334, at step 808, the blade moves from the neutral angle to the cutting angle.

[0058] With the blade 210 at the cutting angle, the mobile machine 201 may determine the secondary position at a first location at step 810 and determine the secondary position at a second location at step 812. Figure 4A As shown in FIG, if blade 210 achieves proper penetration, front track profile 324a will closely follow blade edge profile 326a as the mobile machine moves from first position 330 to fourth position 336. However, if blade 210 fails to achieve proper penetration as it moves along its path, front track profile 324b does not follow blade edge profile 326b.

[0059] At step 814, the mobile machine 201 can compare the initial position and the secondary position to determine whether the threshold cutting volume has been achieved. That is, if the secondary position of the chassis and the pitch angle of the blade do not follow their expected effective cutting path, the system 100 can determine that the threshold cutting volume has not been achieved. Based on this deviation, the mobile machine 201 can cause one or more remedial actions to occur at step 816.

[0060] Figure 5A and 5B Another scenario is depicted where an IMU or other sensor may be used to determine whether successful terrain penetration has been achieved. Figure 5A and 5B The mobile machine 201 is similar to Figure 4A and 4BA mobile machine 201 is provided, and has a GPS 114 and one or more IMUs (e.g., an IMU 116a at the front of the track 204, an IMU 116b at the rear of the track 204, or an IMU at some other fixed and known position relative to the GPS position). The IMU 116a at the front of the track 204 can generate a front track profile 424a. The front track stamping position can typically be close to the front side of one or both of the left track (not shown) and the right track 204. Since the mobile machine 201 is a rigid body with a known geometry, only a single stamping position relative to the GPS may be required to measure the positions of both the front and rear tracks of the mobile machine. That is, using the known dimensions of the chassis and tracks, the measured GPS position can be converted to the front and rear tracks. The IMU 116b is shown for illustrative purposes to show that the stamping position can be at any position on the chassis, or otherwise at a fixed position relative to the body of the mobile machine 201.

[0061] like Figure 5A As shown in FIG. 1 , the blade moves from the neutral angle to the cutting angle and achieves good penetration as the mobile machine 201 advances along its intended path from the first position 430 to the second position 432 and the third position 434. As the mobile machine 101 continues to move forward, the front track profile 424a and the rear track profile 426a will appear similar because the rear track stamping position (which is calculated based on its known position relative to the IMU 116a or can be associated with the IMU 116b) will follow the front track stamping position (associated with the IMU 116a).

[0062] However, if Figure 5B , if the blade 210 does not achieve good penetration as the mobile machine 201 moves from the first position 430' to the second position 432' to the third position 434' and the fourth position 436', the front of the mobile machine 201 will be lifted from the ground due to the hydraulic force on the blade 210 (and therefore the terrain 220) by the arm 212 of the mobile machine 201. Based on the failure to achieve proper penetration, the mobile machine 201 can cause one or more remedial actions to occur, as described herein.

[0063] It should now be appreciated that a mobile machine including various sensors (e.g., GPS, IMU, etc.) may be used to determine whether sufficient penetration of the implement of the mobile machine has been achieved. To determine whether sufficient penetration has been achieved, a controller of the mobile machine may compare, for example, a threshold cut volume to the volume actually cut by the mobile machine. Based on a determination of sufficient or insufficient penetration, the mobile machine may cause one or more remedial actions to occur in order to ensure that the ground at the worksite will ultimately be penetrated and can be machined in accordance with the worksite requirements. The autonomous ability of the mobile machine to determine its own insufficient penetration and in response thereto cause remedial actions to ultimately achieve sufficient penetration enables the mobile machine to operate with greater autonomy in more environments, thereby reducing the need for (one or more) human operators in environments where human operation is not possible and / or desirable.

[0064] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made to the disclosed system without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Other embodiments of the system will be apparent to those skilled in the art by consideration of the description and practice of the system disclosed herein. The specification and examples are intended to be considered exemplary only, with the true scope of the present disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method of identifying ineffective blade penetrations by a blade-based machine (101) at a worksite, the method comprising: attempting to cut an area of ​​ground at the worksite by the blade-based machine (101); determining that the cut is ineffective based on determining a threshold cut volume (123) achieved by the blade-based machine (101), the threshold cut volume (123) being based on input from one or more position sensors on the blade-based machine; as well as One or more remedial actions are initiated based on a determination of ineffective cutting by the blade-based machine.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Prior to attempting to cut the area of ​​the ground surface (120), determining a target cutting profile (122) including a target cutting volume (123) based on the area of ​​the ground surface (120); determining an actual cut volume (126) based on input from the one or more position sensors (116); comparing the target ablation volume (123) with the actual ablation volume (126) to determine whether the threshold ablation volume is achieved; One or more of the one or more remedial actions are initiated based on failure to achieve the threshold ablation volume.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the target cutting volume (123) is scaled based on a size of the blade (110).

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: dividing the target cutting volume (123) into a plurality of partial target cuttings, each partial target cutting having a partial target cutting volume, comparing one or more of the partial target ablation volumes to the actual ablation volume (126), and The one or more remedial actions are performed based on a difference between one or more of the partial target resection volumes and an actual volume (126).

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the target cutting profile (122) is based on GPS tracking mapping and / or drone terrain mapping.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the target cutting profile is based on a current terrain profile sensed by a perception system of the blade-based machine (101).

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold ablation volume is 5% of the target ablation volume (123).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more position sensors (114) are configured to generate data comprising: Global Positioning System data; as well as Inertial Measurement Unit system data.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining an initial position at a first location on the blade-based machine (101); determining an initial position at a second location on the blade-based machine (101); moving the blade (110) from a neutral angle to a cutting angle; determining a secondary position at a first location on the blade-based machine; determining a secondary position at a second location on the blade-based machine; Whether the threshold resection volume can be achieved is determined based on a difference between an initial position at the first location and a secondary position at the first location and a difference between an initial position at the second location and a secondary position at the second location.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first location is a location on a portion of the blade (210) and the second location is a location on a portion of a chassis (206) of the blade-based machine.

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