Cooperative Earthmoving Fleet Control for Collision-Free Fill Compaction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The earth moving industry faces high costs and inefficiencies due to the reliance on manual operators for earth shaping vehicles, which limits operation to daytime hours and increases the risk of human error, and there is a need for mechanisms to prevent collisions and bottlenecks when multiple vehicles operate simultaneously.

Innovation Solution

An autonomous or semi-autonomous earth shaping system that uses sensors to navigate and control vehicles, allowing them to operate cooperatively by recording positions and orientations, generating target tool paths, and adjusting velocities to avoid collisions and optimize task execution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles simultaneously perform different earth moving tasks, then productivity increases, but collision risk and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveearth moving task execution speedVSAvoidcollision prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously tracks the positions of all vehicles in real-time and uses this feedback to dynamically update control instructions. The central control system receives position data from multiple vehicles, processes this information, and adjusts navigation commands to maintain safe distances and prevent collisions while keeping all vehicles productive

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

A central control system acts as an intermediary between multiple autonomous vehicles. This mediator coordinates the operations of all vehicles, managing their interactions and preventing direct conflicts. The central system processes position information from all vehicles and distributes updated control instructions to each vehicle to ensure safe simultaneous operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If manual operators are used to operate earth shaping vehicles, then operational flexibility is maintained, but labor costs increase and human error risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational flexibilityVSAvoidhuman error reduction

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The earth shaping vehicles are equipped with autonomous navigation capabilities that allow them to operate independently without manual operators. The vehicles use onboard sensors, position tracking, and automated control systems to perform earth moving tasks autonomously, eliminating the need for human operators while maintaining operational flexibility through programmable control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If manual operators are required for earth shaping vehicles, then operational control is maintained, but operation duration is limited to daytime hours

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational controlVSAvoidoperation time window

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The autonomous vehicles perform earth moving operations without human operators, enabling continuous operation during day and night. The self-service capability includes automated navigation, earth moving operations, and position tracking that function independently of human presence, extending the operational duration beyond daytime limitations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Reliability

If a central control system tracks and coordinates multiple vehicles, then collision prevention is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision preventionVSAvoidcontrol system structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The central control system implements a universal coordination mechanism that handles multiple vehicles using the same position tracking and control instruction protocols. This multi-functional approach manages diverse earth moving tasks (excavation, hauling, filling, compaction) through a unified control framework, reducing overall system complexity compared to separate control systems for each vehicle

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11401690B2Filling earth into a vehicle using a cooperative fleet of vehicles

Publication Date: 2022.08.02 BUILT ROBOTICS INC

AI summary

This description provides an autonomous or semi-autonomous earth shaping vehicle that is capable of cooperatively filling earth into a fill location in a dig site. A first earth shaping vehicle configured with a hauling tool carrying a volume of earth navigates to the fill location. At the fill location, the first earth shaping vehicle navigates over a target tool path to fill earth from the hauling tool into the fill location. As the first earth shaping vehicle fills earth into the fill location, a measurement sensor coupled to the first earth shaping vehicle measures a compaction level of earth filled into the fill location. If the measured compaction level is determined to be below a threshold compaction level, the first earth shaping vehicle communicates a request for a second earth shaping vehicle configured with a compaction tool to compact earth in the fill location.