Method for determining a location of ground penetration

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for determining a location of ground penetration by a mobile ground penetration apparatus (103). The disclosure also relates to a vehicle (100) comprising a ground penetration apparatus (103). A method for determining a location of ground penetration by a mobile ground penetration apparatus (103) comprises obtaining, from a first sensor (105) coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus (103), a signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates of the mobile ground penetration apparatus (103); determining a distance between the first sensor (105) and the location of ground penetration; and determining the location of ground penetration based on the signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates and the distance between a first sensor (105) and the location of ground penetration. Unlocking insights from geodata, the present disclosure further relates to improvements in sustainability and environmental developments.

Description

METHOD FOR DETERMINING A LOCATION OF GROUND PENETRATIONTECHNICAL FIELD[1] This disclosure relates to methods, systems, and / or computer readable media for determining a location of ground penetration by a mobile ground penetration apparatus. The disclosure also relates to a vehicle comprising a ground penetration apparatus. Unlocking insights from Geo-Data, the present disclosure further relates to improvements in sustainability and environmental developments: together we create a safe and liveable world.BACKGROUND[2] There is a general and ongoing need for improved accuracy in geotechnical testing, in particular for improved accuracy in the positioning of geotechnical testing. In geotechnical engineering, ground penetration apparatus such as a cone penetration test (CPT) apparatus and / or boring apparatus are used for ascertaining subsurface ground properties through geotechnical testing. Subsurface information may be used for e.g., site characterisation for infrastructure projects, and / or foundation calculations. For such applications, it is important to generate a comprehensive understanding of the subsurface at different locations with a high degree of accuracy in an efficient manner. Determining how the soil will behave reduces uncertainty during the location determination, foundation design, and construction phases of a project. That in turn reduces delays, overspend, and unnecessary use of material resources (e.g., concrete) during construction. The precise locational accuracy of geotechnical testing data is important because a disparity in location data can result in misinterpretations, leading to design and construction errors.[3] Current techniques for determining the precise location of ground penetration at which a subsurface geotechnical test was / is conducted are prone to inaccuracies. The ground penetration apparatus used to conduct the tests are often mounted to a vehicle such as a truck or crawler in order to provide mobility. Conventionally, an operator determines a location to be tested by using a handheld location device and then drives a stake into the ground at a location to be tested. The operator then positions the vehicle according to the location of the stake in order to conduct the test. Errors may be introduced due to inaccurate operator placement of the stake and / or due to inaccurate positioning of the vehicle over the stake. Compounding errors in location determination can lead to inaccuracies which are not acceptable for project scope. This may lead to misinterpretation during construction and / or design of infrastructure or incorrect assessment of soil mechanics.[4] As a result, there is a need for improved techniques that can accurately determine a location of ground penetration by a mobile ground penetration apparatus.OVERVIEW[5] The present disclosure provides methods, systems, and / or computer-readable media for improved determination of a location of ground penetration by a mobile ground penetration apparatus. In some examples, the mobile ground penetration apparatus is a vehicle having or carrying a ground penetration apparatus, or to which a ground penetration apparatus is mounted.[6] A method for determining a location of ground penetration by a mobile ground penetration apparatus is disclosed. The method comprises obtaining, from a first sensor coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus, a signal representative of three- dimensional geolocation coordinates of the mobile ground penetration apparatus. The method further comprises determining a distance between the first sensor and the location of ground penetration and determining the location of ground penetration based on the signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates and the distance between the first sensor and the location of ground penetration.[7] Advantageously, the method enables a location of ground penetration by a mobile ground penetration apparatus to be more accurately determined by taking into account sensed three-dimensional geolocation coordinates of the apparatus and the position of the sensor. In particular, the method enables the location to be determined with greater accuracy than, for example, an approach in which an operator marks the location using a stake before positioning the ground penetration apparatus at the stake.[8] In some examples, determining the location of ground penetration comprises adjusting a coordinate of the three-dimensional geolocation coordinates based on the distance between the first sensor and the location of ground penetration. Advantageously, such methods enable the determination of more accurate three-dimensional geolocation coordinates of the location of ground penetration by adjusting a coordinate based on a distance associated with the position of the sensor.[9] In some examples, determining the distance comprises determining a first height offset of the first sensor, the first height offset being associated with at least one of: levelling the mobile ground penetration apparatus for ground penetration, a tyre pressure of the mobile ground penetration apparatus, and a hydraulic suspension pressure of the mobile ground penetration apparatus. In such examples, determining the distance may further comprise obtaining a second height offset of the first sensor, the second height offset being representative of a fixed height at which the first sensor is coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus. Advantageously, the location of ground penetration may be moreaccurately determined by taking into account three-dimensional geolocation coordinates from a sensor and a particular height offset of that sensor caused by, for example, levelling the apparatus for ground penetration.

[0010] In some examples, determining the distance comprises obtaining a measurement from at least one of: a displacement sensor, a laser sensor, a radar sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a jack elevation sensor, and a track elevation sensor.

[0011] In some examples, the first sensor comprises a global navigation satellite system, GNSS, receiver.

[0012] In some examples, the mobile ground penetration apparatus comprises at least one of: a cone penetration test apparatus, a boring apparatus, and a drilling apparatus.

[0013] In some examples, the mobile ground penetration apparatus comprises at least one of: a crawler, and a truck.

[0014] In some examples, the first sensor is coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus at a point directly above the location of ground penetration. Advantageously, coupling the sensor to the mobile ground penetration apparatus at a point directly above the location of ground penetration enables a sensor position to be used such that latitude and longitude coordinates obtained by the sensor can be considered to correspond very closely, or exactly, to the latitude and longitude coordinates of the location of ground penetration.

[0015] In some examples, the first sensor is coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus at a horizontal offset from a point directly above the location of ground penetration and determining the location of ground penetration comprises adjusting a coordinate of the three-dimensional geolocation coordinates based on the horizontal offset. Advantageously, the sensor may be coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus at a location that may be particularly suitable, while still providing improved accuracy by taking into account any horizontal offset caused by the sensor placement.

[0016] In some examples, the method further comprises determining heading information using the first sensor and a second sensor coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus, wherein determining the location of ground penetration comprises adjusting a coordinate of the three-dimensional geolocation coordinates based on the heading information. Advantageously, the use of two sensors to determine heading information enables a more accurate determination of the location regardless of the orientation of the mobile ground penetration apparatus in the horizontal plane.

[0017] In some examples, the second sensor is coupled to the mobile ground apparatus at least 1 metre away from the first sensor. Advantageously, a location of ground penetration can be determined with further improved accuracy by separating two sensors by a distance to reduce the error of location determination. The present inventors have identified that a distance of at least 1 metre between the two sensors may be particularly beneficial for reducing error, and that increasing the distance of separation may further reduce the error.

[0018] In some examples, the second sensor comprises at least one of: a GNSS receiver and a heading sensor.

[0019] In some examples, the distance between the first sensor and the location of ground penetration is determined based on a respective height offset of each of the first and second sensor.

[0020] In some examples, the method further comprises associating the determined location of ground penetration with a geotechnical measurement obtained by the ground penetration apparatus at the location of ground penetration.

[0021] Also disclosed herein is a vehicle. The vehicle comprises a ground penetration apparatus and a sensor configured to obtain a signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates of the ground penetration apparatus. By providing such a vehicle, the location of ground penetration can be more accurately determined than with conventional approaches.

[0022] The vehicle may be used as a mobile ground penetration apparatus in accordance with any one or more of the methods disclosed herein.

[0023] In some examples, the vehicle further comprises a distance determination apparatus configured to determine a distance between the sensor and a location of ground penetration. The distance may be determined in accordance with any one or more of the methods disclosed herein. The distance determination apparatus may comprise at least one of: a displacement sensor, a laser sensor, a radar sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a jack elevation sensor, and a track elevation sensor.

[0024] In some examples, the vehicle further comprises one or more processors and one or more memories having stored thereon computer readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising any one or more of the methods described herein. In particular, the instructions may be configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising obtaining, from the sensor, a signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates of the ground penetration apparatus, determining a distance between the sensor and a location of ground penetration, and determining the location of ground penetration based on the signal representative of three- dimensional geolocation coordinates and the distance between the sensor and the location of ground penetration.

[0025] The disclosure extends to a system comprising one or more processors and one or more memories having stored thereon computer readable instructions. The instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising any one or more of the methods described herein.

[0026] The disclosure further extends to one or more computer readable media comprising instructions, that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising any one or more of the methods described herein.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Disclosed implementations will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Figure 1 shows a schematic of a vehicle having a ground penetration apparatus, in accordance with the present disclosure;Figure 2 shows a schematic of a method for determining a location of ground penetration by a mobile ground penetration apparatus, in accordance with the present disclosure;Figure 3 shows a schematic of a vehicle having a ground penetration apparatus, in accordance with the present disclosure; andFigure 4 shows a computer system for carrying out the various methods of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Figure 1 shows a schematic of an exemplary vehicle 100 suitable for conducting subsurface geotechnical testing. The vehicle 100 is shown in a side perspective. In the example of Figure 1 , the vehicle 100 comprises a body 101 and wheels 101a, 101b. The body 101 and wheels 101a, 101 b may correspond to those of a truck, or truck-type vehicle, such as a cone penetration test truck. In other examples, crawler tracks may be used in place of wheels and the vehicle may correspond to a crawler. As will be known to those skilled in the art, various forms of vehicles or mobile rigs are available for subsurface geotechnical testing and may be used in place of the body 101 and wheels 101a, 101b of vehicle 100.

[0029] The vehicle 100 comprises a ground penetration apparatus 103, which may be mounted to the vehicle 100, and / or stored within the body 101 of the vehicle 100, and / or otherwise made part of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 therefore provides mobility to the ground penetration apparatus 103, and the vehicle 100 may be considered to be a mobile ground penetration apparatus. The vehicle 100 may thus take any form suitable for moving the ground penetration apparatus from one location to another in order that the ground penetration apparatus can penetrate the ground at a location in order to conduct geotechnical testing. In the example of figure 1 , the ground penetration apparatus 103 is arranged to extend, or be extended, from the vehicle body 101 and penetrate the ground or earth at ground level 104 to perform subsurface geotechnical testing.

[0030] One of the methods of performing such tests is generally known as a cone penetration test (OPT). The cone penetration test is a geotechnical investigation method for determining, e.g., soil and groundwater characteristics, where a cone penetrometer is pushed into the soilto perform a measurement or measurements. Typical parameters measured by such a probe are cone tip resistance, sleeve friction and pore-water pressure. Usually, the test method comprises pushing an instrumented cone penetrometer probe, with the tip facing down, into the ground at a controlled rate. The ground penetration apparatus 103 may comprise at least one of a cone penetration test apparatus, a boring apparatus, and / or a drilling apparatus. In each example, the ground penetration apparatus 103 may penetrate the ground at a location of ground penetration.

[0031] The vehicle 100 further comprises a sensor 105 configured to obtain a signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates of the ground penetration apparatus. The sensor 105 may be configured to obtain or generate an electronic signal representative of the coordinates and transmit or provide that signal to another electronic device. Appropriate signal processing and communication techniques will be known to the skilled person.

[0032] The sensor 105 may comprise a receiver such as a global navigation satellite system, GNSS, receiver. The sensor 105 may also or alternatively comprise an antenna and / or node, such as a GNSS antenna and / or node. Any GNSS is suitable for use with the methods and / or systems disclosed herein, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), or the Galileo system. In other examples, the sensor 105 may alternatively or additionally comprise a receiver, antenna, and / or node for a ground-based geolocation system.

[0033] Three-dimensional geolocation coordinates are thus obtainable from the sensor 105. The sensor 105 may thus be referred to as a geolocation sensor or geo-position sensor. Typically, three-dimensional geolocation coordinates correspond to a location or position within an orthogonal three-dimensional coordinate system of the Earth. The three-dimensional geolocation coordinates may comprise latitude, longitude, and altitude coordinates. Alternatively, or additionally, three-dimensional geolocation coordinates obtainable from the sensor 105 may comprise spherical coordinates or geodetic coordinates. As will be known to those skilled in the art, other geolocation coordinate systems are available, and three- dimensional coordinates in those systems may alternatively or additionally be obtainable from the sensor 105.

[0034] The sensor 105 may be coupled to the vehicle 100 at a point on the vehicle body 101 , such as a roof of the vehicle 100. Alternatively, the sensor 105 may be coupled to the ground penetration apparatus 103. The sensor 105 may be configured to obtain a signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates of the sensor 105 itself. However, in each example, including examples in which the sensor 105 is coupled to the roof of the vehicle 100, the three-dimensional geolocation coordinates obtainable from the sensor may be considered to correspond to, and / or be representative of, three-dimensional geolocation coordinates of the ground penetration apparatus within a margin of error.

[0035] The sensor 105 therefore can provide three-dimensional geolocation coordinates of the ground penetration apparatus to enable the determination of the location of ground penetration by the ground penetration apparatus with greater accuracy than conventional approaches such as those relying on an operator driving a stake into the ground at an intended location of ground penetration.

[0036] An altitude or other height-related coordinate obtained by the sensor 105 will correspond to, or be associated with, the position of the sensor 105 on or within the vehicle 100. For example, if using a sensor with centimetre accuracy that is placed on the roof of a vehicle more than 1 metre in height above ground level, the height-related coordinate obtained by the sensor will be offset from the precise location of ground penetration by a distance of at least 1 metre. The overall accuracy of the determination of the location of ground penetration may depend upon a “positioning” accuracy or resolution of the sensor 105, which is the accuracy with which the sensor 105 can determine three-dimensional geolocation coordinates, as well as a “placement” accuracy, which is the accuracy with which the placement of the sensor 105 can be considered to correspond to the location of ground penetration.

[0037] In some examples, the vehicle 100 further comprises a distance determination apparatus configured to determine a distance between the sensor 105 and a location of ground penetration. Such an approach enables the accuracy of determination of the location of ground penetration to be further improved by allowing for the three-dimensional geolocation coordinates obtained from the sensor 105 to be adjusted or corrected according to the distance or height that the sensor 105 is from ground level 104 when the sensor 105 obtains / obtained the three-dimensional geolocation coordinates. The height of the sensor 105 from ground level104 may be referred to as a height offset. The distance determination apparatus may therefore enable the placement of the sensor 105 to be considered to correspond to the location of ground penetration with improved accuracy, thereby enabling an more accurate determination of the location of ground penetration.

[0038] A horizontal distance offset of the sensor 105 from the location of ground penetration may alternatively or additionally be taken into account in determining the distance of the sensor105 from the location of ground penetration. Vertical and horizontal components of the distance from the location of ground penetration associated with the positioning of the sensor 105 on the vehicle 100 may thus be taken into account when determining the location of ground penetration by the ground penetration apparatus. For example, a height-related or altitude coordinate of the location of ground penetration obtained by the sensor 105 may be adjusted or corrected according to the height offset of the sensor 105 from the location of ground penetration and a coordinate in the horizontal plane of the vehicle 100 may be adjusted or corrected by a horizontal offset value.

[0039] In some examples, the distance determination apparatus comprises at least one of: a displacement sensor, a laser sensor, a radar sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a jack elevationsensor, and a track elevation sensor. For example, if the vehicle 100 uses one or more jacks or tracks in order to level itself on uneven terrain, the extension of the jacks and / or tracks may be recorded and / or measured and used to determine a distance of the sensor 105 from ground level.

[0040] In some examples, the distance or height of the sensor 105 from the location of ground penetration may depend upon a variable distance or height dependent upon the extension of jacks or tracks, or other levelling apparatus, as well as a fixed height or distance at which the sensor 105 is coupled to the vehicle 100 or ground penetration apparatus 103 above or from the jacks or tracks or other variable height component(s) of the vehicle 100.In some examples, a tyre pressure and / or a hydraulic suspension pressure of the vehicle 100 may cause or contribute to the variable height or distance and the tyres and hydraulic suspension of the vehicle 100 may thus represent variable height components. The variable distance or height may also be referred to as a variable height offset, dynamic distance or dynamic height offset. The variable height offset for a particular vehicle may vary from, for example, zero to 2 metres, depending upon the implementation and upon the arrangement and / or positioning of the vehicle. In some examples, the variable height offset may be considered to be a negative value, such as if a fixed offset value is defined as a configuration with a maximum extension of jacks of a vehicle such that any reduction in the extension brings the sensor closer to the location of ground penetration. The variable height offset can thus in various examples vary from between -2m to +2m, or between other values depending upon the configuration used.

[0041] In some implementations, the variable height offset can vary between 10 to 80 centimetres depending upon the arrangement and / or positioning of the vehicle.

[0042] Accordingly, in some examples the distance determination apparatus is arranged to determine the distance at least in part by determining a first height offset of the sensor 105, the first height offset being associated with at least one of: levelling the vehicle 100 for ground penetration, a tyre pressure of the vehicle 100, and a hydraulic suspension pressure of the vehicle 100. Determining the distance may further comprise obtaining a second height offset of the sensor 105, the second height offset being representative of a fixed height at which the sensor 105 is coupled to the vehicle 100, which may be a fixed height of the sensor 105 above the variable height components of the vehicle 100.

[0043] In some examples, the vehicle 100 further comprises one or more processors and one or more memories having stored thereon computer readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising any one or more of the methods disclosed herein. In particular, the computer readable instructions may be configured to cause the one or more processors to obtain, from the sensor, a signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates of the ground penetration apparatus; determine a distance between the sensor and a location of ground penetration; and determine the locationof ground penetration based on the signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates and the distance between the sensor and the location of ground penetration.

[0044] Figure 2 shows a method 200 for determining a location of ground penetration by a mobile ground penetration apparatus. The mobile ground penetration apparatus may be a vehicle such as that of figure 1 and / or figure 3. In some examples, the vehicle 100 of figure 1 and / or the vehicle 300 of figure 3 may be arranged to perform the method 200. However, the method 200 need not be performed in a vehicle or mobile ground penetration apparatus and may be performed in whole or in part elsewhere, such as at a separate computing device and / or server. The method 200 may be a computer-implemented method.

[0045] At block 202, the method 200 comprises obtaining, from a first sensor coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus, a signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates of the mobile ground penetration apparatus. The first sensor may correspond to the sensor 105 of figure 1. As noted above, the three-dimensional geolocation coordinates may take any suitable format, such as comprising latitude, longitude, and altitude, or comprising spherical or geodetic coordinates. The first sensor may comprise a global navigation satellite system, GNSS, receiver.

[0046] At block 204, the method 200 comprises determining a distance between the first sensor and the location of ground penetration. In some examples, determining the distance comprises determining a first height offset of the first sensor, the first height offset being associated with at least one of: levelling the mobile ground penetration apparatus for ground penetration, a tyre pressure of the mobile ground penetration apparatus, and a hydraulic suspension pressure of the mobile ground penetration apparatus. The first height offset may thus be referred to as a variable height offset or a dynamic height offset, or a variable distance or dynamic distance.

[0047] Determining the distance may further comprise obtaining a second height offset of the first sensor, the second height offset being representative of a fixed height at which the first sensor is coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus.

[0048] In some examples of the method 200, determining the distance comprises obtaining a measurement from at least one of: a displacement sensor, a laser sensor, a radar sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a jack elevation sensor, and a track elevation sensor. As will be known to those skilled in the art, various other types of distance and / or displacement sensor are available, such as optical sensors or mechanical sensors.

[0049] The method may further comprise positioning the mobile ground penetration apparatus for ground penetration and the distance may be associated with the positioning the ground penetration apparatus for ground penetration. For example, the distance may comprise a variable height offset caused during levelling of the mobile ground penetration apparatus for ground penetration, and / or caused by a variation in the tyre pressure or hydraulic suspension pressure of the mobile ground penetration apparatus at that location.

[0050] At block 206, the method 200 comprises determining the location of ground penetration based on the signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates and the distance between the first sensor and the location of ground penetration.

[0051] In some examples of the method 200, determining the location of ground penetration comprises adjusting a coordinate of the three-dimensional geolocation coordinates based on the distance between the first sensor and the location of ground penetration. The coordinate may be adjusted or corrected according to any one or more of the approaches disclosed herein, such as by correcting a coordinate according to the determined distance.

[0052] In some examples of the method 200, the mobile ground penetration apparatus comprises at least one of: a cone penetration test apparatus, a boring apparatus, and a drilling apparatus. In some examples of the method 200, the mobile ground penetration apparatus comprises at least one of: a crawler, and a truck. For example, the mobile ground penetration apparatus may be a CPT truck, or CPT crawler. In other examples, the mobile ground penetration apparatus may be a truck or other vehicle equipped with a boring or drilling apparatus.

[0053] The accuracy of determination of the location of ground penetration may be dependent upon the position and / or point on the mobile ground penetration apparatus at which the first sensor is coupled. In some examples, the first sensor is coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus at a point directly above the location of ground penetration. For example, the first sensor may be coupled to the roof of a vehicle at a point along a vertical axis which also passes through a point at which the ground penetration apparatus will penetrate the ground when in use. Beneficially, such placement means that coordinates in the horizontal plane, e.g., latitude and longitude coordinates, obtained by or from the first sensor may be considered to correspond with very high accuracy to the coordinates in the horizontal plane of the location of ground penetration. When determining the location of ground penetration in such examples based on the signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates and the distance between the first sensor and the location of ground penetration, a highly accurate determination can be obtained.

[0054] In some examples, the method 200 further comprises associating the determined location of ground penetration with a geotechnical measurement obtained by the ground penetration apparatus at the location of ground penetration. For example, the determined location of ground penetration may be associated with a geotechnical measurement obtained at that location by storing the information together in a particular electronic data format, such as a database entry. Such examples can provide an improved approach for accurately recording the location of geotechnical test data compared to conventional approaches such as those in which an operator manually records locations separately to a record of measured geotechnical data. Such conventional approaches may be prone to user error. For example, using conventional approaches, if a sequence of tests is executed, but one location is skippeddue to unforeseen circumstances, the number of entries in the testing data may not match the number of entries in the location data. It may then be very complex to determine, retroactively, which location actually matched which test data.

[0055] In some examples of the method 200, the first sensor is coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus at a horizontal offset from a point directly above the location of ground penetration and determining the location of ground penetration comprises adjusting a coordinate of the three-dimensional geolocation coordinates based on the horizontal offset. The horizontal offset may correspond to a distance in any direction in a horizontal X-Y plane of the mobile ground penetration apparatus, including in a direction parallel to a direction of forward motion of the mobile ground penetration apparatus, a direction perpendicular to the direction of forward motion of the mobile ground penetration apparatus, and / or a diagonal offset with parallel and perpendicular components. The horizontal offset may in some examples comprise a first horizontal offset in a first (X) direction and a second horizontal offset in a second (Y) direction, each of the first and second horizontal offsets being within the X-Y plane of the mobile ground penetration apparatus.

[0056] In some examples, the method 200 further comprises determining heading information using the first sensor and a second sensor coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus, and determining the location of ground penetration comprises adjusting a coordinate of the three-dimensional geolocation coordinates based on the heading information. As will be known to the skilled person, heading or course information in a navigation system may provide an indication of the direction of travel, or orientation, of an apparatus or vehicle such as the mobile ground penetration apparatus. Accordingly, a known horizontal offset distance value of the first sensor may be taken into account in determining the location of ground penetration by correcting or adjusting a coordinate of the three- dimensional geolocation coordinates based on the horizontal offset value and a direction determined from the heading information.

[0057] A combination of two sensors - such as the first and second sensor - may be used to obtain heading information. In particular, placing the first sensor and second sensor along a straight line facilitates determining an accurate horizontal offset regardless of the heading or orientation of the truck. In other examples, the heading information may be obtained without using the second sensor, such as by an operator orienting the mobile ground penetration apparatus in a particular known direction. In such examples, a single first sensor may still be coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus at a horizontal offset, and the heading information may be used to determine the direction of the horizontal offset in order to adjust, correct, or compensate a coordinate obtained from the first sensor based on the horizontal offset. The second sensor may be coupled to the mobile ground apparatus at least 1 metre away from the first sensor, which is particularly beneficial for reducing errors in determining the location of ground penetration. Such an arrangement can be beneficial in relation to apossible trade-off between heading accuracy and placement accuracy. Typically, sensors that are closer together will have a less accurate heading measurement but deviations on the heading measurement will have a smaller effect. Similarly, sensors which are placed further apart have more accurate heading measurements but the effects of errors are increased.

[0058] The second sensor may comprise at least one of: a GNSS receiver and a heading sensor such as a compass. The second sensor may be the same type of sensor as the first sensor and may have corresponding properties to a sensor such as the sensor 105 of figure 1.

[0059] In examples of the method 200 in which a second sensor is used, the distance between the first sensor and the location of ground penetration may be determined based on a respective height offset of each of the first and second sensor. For example, the distance between the first sensor and the location of ground penetration may be determined based on an average value of the respective height offsets of each sensor, or that average value may be used as, or to represent, the distance between the first sensor and the location of ground penetration.

[0060] It will be appreciated that the method 200 may be performed, in whole or in part, before the actual ground penetration is performed, and / or during the ground penetration, and / or after the ground penetration is performed.

[0061] The method 200 enables the placement of the first sensor to be considered to correspond to the location of ground penetration with improved accuracy, thereby enabling an more accurate determination of the location of ground penetration. As an example, by using a first sensor with sufficient centimetre-scale geolocation resolution, the methods and approaches disclosed herein can enable the determination of a location of ground penetration with a precision of 2 to 5 centimetres.

[0062] Figure 3 shows a schematic of a vehicle 300. Vehicle 300 is shown as a truck, but may take another form, such as a crawler, and is suitable for conducting geotechnical testing. The vehicle 300 may be a vehicle with the same components as the vehicle 100 of figure 1, and vice versa, and may be used as a mobile ground penetration apparatus in accordance with any one or more of the methods disclosed herein.

[0063] The vehicle 300 of figure 3 may be particularly well suited for use in, or for performing, examples of the method 200 of figure 2 in which the method 200 makes use of a first sensor and a second sensor. However, the vehicle 300 of figure 3 may also or alternatively be arranged to perform, or be used in, examples in which the method 200 makes use of only a first sensor.

[0064] The vehicle 300 comprises tracks 301 which may be used to level the vehicle 300 on uneven terrain. Ground penetration apparatus 303 is arranged to extend from beneath the vehicle 300 and penetrate the ground at a location of ground penetration. The tracks 301 maybe used to level the truck 300 with respect to its horizontal plane so that, even on uneven terrain, the ground penetration apparatus 303 does not enter the ground at an angle.

[0065] The ground penetration apparatus 303 may be associated with a hood 305 which extends from the top of the truck in order to accommodate the height of the ground penetration apparatus 303. In some examples, a sensor like the sensor 105 of figure 1 may be placed on top of the hood, directly above the location of ground penetration. However, in some examples, placement of a sensor on top of the hood 305 may not be feasible due to the design of the hood 305, which may include variation or flex. Therefore, for some vehicles or mobile ground penetration apparatuses, it is not feasible or convenient to place a (geo)location sensor at a point directly above the location of ground penetration.

[0066] In the example shown in figure 3, a first sensor 307 is placed on the roof of the truck 300 at a horizontal offset from the hood 305 and hence at a horizontal offset from a point directly above the location of ground penetration. A second sensor 309 is also placed on the roof of the truck 300 at a further horizontal offset from the hood 305. Each offset of each of the first and second sensors is a horizontal offset with respect to the vertical axis at the location of ground penetration. In this example, the first sensor 307 and second sensor 309 are placed along a straight line corresponding to the forward direction of motion of the vehicle 300.

[0067] The second sensor 309 may correspond to the second sensor used in those examples of the method 200 that make use of a second sensor. The second sensor 309 may be used with the first sensor 307 to provide heading information about the direction and / or orientation of the truck. Such heading information can be used with the known value of the fixed horizontal offset of placement of the first sensor 307 to correct a horizontal coordinate such as a lateral or longitudinal coordinate obtained by the first sensor 307, as described above in relation to the method 200 of figure 2 and the vehicle 100 of figure 1 , and thereby determine the location of ground penetration. In particular, since the magnitude of the horizontal offset of the first sensor 307 may be known in advance, the heading information may be used to determine in which direction a horizontal coordinate should be adjusted or corrected using the magnitude of the horizontal offset.

[0068] The vehicle 300 may further comprise components which can produce a variable height offset 311 , or dynamic height offset, between the first sensor 307 and ground level 104, such as the tracks 301.

[0069] The first sensor 307 and second sensor 309 are each placed at a fixed height in relation to the components of the vehicle 300 that may produce a variable height offset 311 such that the distance between the first sensor 307 and ground level 104 comprises a fixed height offset 313 and a variable height offset 311. The variable height offset 311 may correspond to the first height offset of examples of the method 200 disclosed above, and the fixed height offset 313 may correspond to the second height offset of examples of the method 200 disclosed above.

[0070] The method 200 may therefore be used to determine the location of ground penetration by the ground penetration apparatus 303 of the vehicle 300. Determining the location of ground penetration by the ground penetration apparatus 303 may comprise adjusting three-dimensional geolocation coordinates obtained by or from the first sensor 307 according to a horizontal offset of the first sensor 307 and heading information providing a direction of that offset, and according to a distance comprising a fixed height offset 313 and a variable height offset 311. The precise location of ground penetration can therefore be determined with improved accuracy.

[0071] With reference to Figure 4, a computing device or system suitable for carrying out the methods described herein will now be described. Figure 4 shows a block diagram of one implementation of a processing system 400 in the form of a computing device within which a set of instructions for causing the computing device to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, may be executed. In alternative implementations, the computing device may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a Local Area Network (LAN), an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. The computing device may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in a client-server network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The computing device may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet computer, a set-top box (STB), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a web appliance, a server, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a single computing device is illustrated, the term “computing device” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines (e.g., computers) that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

[0072] The example processing system 400 includes a processor 402, a main memory 404 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) or Rambus DRAM (RDRAM), etc.), a static memory 406 (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM), etc.), and a secondary memory (e.g., a data storage device 418), which communicate with each other via a bus 430.

[0073] Processor 402 represents one or more general-purpose processors such as a microprocessor, central processing unit, or the like. More particularly, the processor 402 may be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, processor implementing other instruction sets, or processors implementing a combination of instruction sets. Processor 402 may also be one or more special-purpose processors such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), network processor, or the like. Processor 402 is configured toexecute the processing logic (instructions 422) for performing the operations and steps of the methods discussed herein.

[0074] The processing system 400 may further include a network interface device 408. The processing system 400 also may include a video display unit 410 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device 412 (e.g., a keyboard or touchscreen), a cursor control device 414 (e.g., a mouse or touchscreen), and an audio device 416 (e.g., a speaker).

[0075] It will be apparent that some features of the processing system 400 shown in Figure 4 may be absent. For example, the processing system 400 may have no need for display device 410 (or any associated adapters). This may be the case, for example, for particular server-side computer apparatuses which are used only for their processing capabilities and do not need to display information to users. Similarly, user input device 412 may not be required. In its simplest form, processing system 400 comprises processor 402 and main memory 404.

[0076] The data storage device 418 may include one or more machine-readable storage media (or more specifically one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media) 428 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions 422 embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The instructions 422 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 404 and / or within the processor 402 during execution thereof by the processing system 400, the main memory 404 and the processor 402 also constituting computer-readable storage media 428.

[0077] The various methods described above may be implemented by a computer program. The computer program may include computer code arranged to instruct a computer to perform the functions of one or more of the various methods described above. The computer program and / or the code for performing such methods may be provided to an apparatus, such as a computer, on one or more computer readable media or, more generally, a computer program product. The computer readable media may be transitory or non-transitory. The one or more computer readable media could be, for example, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, or a propagation medium for data transmission, for example for downloading the code over the Internet. Alternatively, the one or more computer readable media could take the form of one or more physical computer readable media such as semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disc, and an optical disk, such as a CD-ROM, CD-R / W or DVD.

[0078] The computer program is executable by the processor 402 to perform functions of the systems and methods described herein.

[0079] In an implementation, the modules, components, and other features described herein can be implemented as discrete components or integrated in the functionality of hardware components such as ASICS, FPGAs, DSPs, or similar devices.

[0080] A “hardware component” is a tangible (e.g., non-transitory) physical component (e.g., a set of one or more processors) capable of performing certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain physical manner. A hardware component may include dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured to perform certain operations. A hardware component may be or include a special-purpose processor, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an ASIC. A hardware component may also include programmable logic or circuitry that is temporarily configured by software to perform certain operations.

[0081] Accordingly, the phrase “hardware component” should be understood to encompass a tangible entity that may be physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner or to perform certain operations described herein.

[0082] In addition, the modules and components can be implemented as firmware or functional circuitry within hardware devices. Further, the modules and components can be implemented in any combination of hardware devices and software components, or only in software (e.g., code stored or otherwise embodied in a machine-readable medium or in a transmission medium).

[0083] Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the following discussion, it is appreciated that throughout the description, discussions utilizing terms such as "receiving”, “determining”, “comparing”, “enabling”, “maintaining,” “identifying,”, “receiving”, “providing” or the like, refer to the actions and processes of a computer system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.

[0084] The steps of the methods described above may be performed in any suitable order. For example, steps at block 202 of the method 200 may be performed before, after, simultaneously or substantially simultaneously with steps at block 204 of the method 200.

[0085] The preceding detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the disclosure and its uses. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, overview, or the detailed description.

[0086] Examples of the present disclosure may be described herein in terms of functional and / or logical block components and various processing steps. It should be appreciated that such block components may be realised by any number of hardware, software, and / or firmware components configured to perform the specified functions. For example, an example of the present disclosure may employ various integrated circuit components, e.g., memory elements, digital signal processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, or the like, which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other controldevices. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that examples of the present disclosure may be practised in conjunction with any number of systems, and that the systems described herein are merely exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0087] For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques compared to signal processing, data transmission, signalling, control and other functional aspects of the systems (and the individual operating components of the systems) may not be described in detail herein. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent example functional relationships and / or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connection may be present in an example of the present disclosure.

[0088] The term “apparatus” as used herein may refer to either a single apparatus or plural apparatus and should not be understood as being particularly limited to either a single discrete apparatus or a plurality of discrete apparatus unless a particular apparatus is further described as such.

[0089] Those skilled in the art will recognise that a wide variety of modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described examples without departing from the scope of the disclosed concepts, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the disclosed concepts.

[0090] Those skilled in the art will also recognise that the scope of the invention is not limited by the examples described herein but is instead defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method for determining a location of ground penetration by a mobile ground penetration apparatus, the method comprising: obtaining, from a first sensor coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus, a signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates of the mobile ground penetration apparatus; determining a distance between the first sensor and the location of ground penetration; and determining the location of ground penetration based on the signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates and the distance between the first sensor and the location of ground penetration.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the location of ground penetration comprises adjusting a coordinate of the three-dimensional geolocation coordinates based on the distance between the first sensor and the location of ground penetration.

3. The method of any preceding claim, wherein determining the distance comprises determining a first height offset of the first sensor, the first height offset being associated with at least one of: levelling the mobile ground penetration apparatus for ground penetration, a tyre pressure of the mobile ground penetration apparatus, and a hydraulic suspension pressure of the mobile ground penetration apparatus.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the distance further comprises obtaining a second height offset of the first sensor, the second height offset being representative of a fixed height at which the first sensor is coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus.

5. The method of any preceding claim, wherein determining the distance comprises obtaining a measurement from at least one of: a displacement sensor, a laser sensor, a radar sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a jack elevation sensor, and a track elevation sensor.

6. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the first sensor comprises a global navigation satellite system, GNSS, receiver.

7. The method of any preceding claim, wherein: the first sensor is coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus at a horizontal offset from a point directly above the location of ground penetration; anddetermining the location of ground penetration comprises adjusting a coordinate of the three-dimensional geolocation coordinates based on the horizontal offset.

8. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising: determining heading information using the first sensor and a second sensor coupled to the mobile ground penetration apparatus, wherein determining the location of ground penetration comprises adjusting a coordinate of the three-dimensional geolocation coordinates based on the heading information.

9. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the method further comprises associating the determined location of ground penetration with a geotechnical measurement obtained by the ground penetration apparatus at the location of ground penetration.

10. A system comprising: one or more processors; one or more memories having stored thereon computer readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising the method of any of the preceding claims.

11. A vehicle comprising: a ground penetration apparatus; and a sensor configured to obtain a signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates of the ground penetration apparatus.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle further comprises a distance determination apparatus configured to determine a distance between the sensor and a location of ground penetration.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the distance determination apparatus comprises at least one of: a displacement sensor, a laser sensor, a radar sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a jack elevation sensor, and a track elevation sensor.

14. The vehicle of any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the vehicle further comprises: one or more processors; and one or more memories having stored thereon computer readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: obtaining, from the sensor, a signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates of the ground penetration apparatus;determining a distance between the sensor and a location of ground penetration; and determining the location of ground penetration based on the signal representative of three-dimensional geolocation coordinates and the distance between the sensor and the location of ground penetration.

15. One or more computer readable media comprising instructions, that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising the method of any of claims 1 to 9.

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