Autonomous Navigation System for Tracked Mining Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles, particularly in open-pit mining environments, face challenges in accurately navigating and tracking paths to drill holes in a blast hole pattern due to the complexity of terrain and machine dynamics, leading to positioning errors and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous navigation system for tracked or skid-steer vehicles that includes a path planner, vehicle location sensor, tramming controller, and vehicle control interface, using waypoint controllers to compute speed and yaw rate setpoints based on trajectory curvature, vehicle heading errors, and cross-track errors, and employing cubic Bezier splines and state lattice search systems to generate and verify paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If autonomous navigation is implemented in complex mining terrain, then navigation automation is improved, but positioning accuracy deteriorates due to terrain complexity and machine dynamics
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously measures actual vehicle location using GPS and sensor data, compares it with the planned path, and computes corrections through a feedback controller that adjusts speed and steering commands to minimize deviation from the desired trajectory
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical navigation with an automated electronic control system that uses sensors, processors, and actuators to autonomously compute and execute path following, substituting human operation with electronic feedback control mechanisms
2Manufacturing precision
If path tracking accuracy is improved through complex control algorithms, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is divided into modular functional components including a path planner module that generates way points, a sensor module that collects location data, a controller module that computes corrections, and an actuator module that executes commands, allowing each segment to be independently optimized and maintained
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts control parameters such as speed setpoints, steering angles, and feedback gain values based on real-time vehicle state and path curvature to maintain high positioning accuracy without requiring overly complex system architecture
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous navigation system for a tracked or skid-steer vehicle is described. The system includes a path planner (54) that computes a series of waypoint locations specifying a path to follow and vehicle location sensors (82). A tramming controller (60) includes a waypoint controller (62) that computes vehicle speed and yaw rate setpoints based on vehicle location information from the vehicle location sensor and the locations of a plurality of neighboring waypoints, and a rate controller (64) that generates left and right track speed setpoints from the speed and yaw rate setpoints. A vehicle control interface actuates the vehicle controls in accordance with the left and right track speed setpoints.