Mobile Machine Path Planning with Minimum Turning Radius Constraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current path planning systems for agricultural and environmental management vehicles struggle with concave curves, leading to sharp turns that are not reproducible and result in complicated patterns that are difficult to drive, especially when the radius of the planned turn is too tight for the vehicle to perform.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that check the planned path to ensure curves have a radius equal to or greater than the minimum turning radius of the vehicle, amending the path if necessary to prevent sharp turns, allowing for reliable and repeatable path reproduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the path planning system projects paths by looking ahead a set amount of time or distance, then the vehicle can follow a curved path, but the path becomes non-repeatable and unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary path planning that checks curve radii against the vehicle's minimum turning radius before execution. By pre-validating that all curves in the planned path meet the turning radius requirement, the system ensures the path can be reliably reproduced without manual intervention during execution.
2Productivity
If the path planning system creates sharp turns to cover the work area efficiently, then productivity increases, but the vehicle cannot physically perform the turns
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the geometric parameters of the planned path by enforcing a minimum turning radius constraint. When a curve in the planned path has a radius smaller than the vehicle's minimum turning radius, the system modifies the path geometry to increase the curve radius, ensuring the vehicle can physically execute the turn while maintaining efficient work area coverage.
3Ease of operation
If the path planning system abandons tight curves and draws fresh paths, then the vehicle can complete turns, but the path patterns become complicated and difficult to drive
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes problematic sharp turns from the planned path that would require manual intervention. By pre-identifying and eliminating curves with radii smaller than the minimum turning radius, the system creates simplified, continuous paths that the vehicle can follow automatically without requiring the driver to stop and manually realign the vehicle.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention recite a method and system for determining the path of a mobile machine. In one embodiment, a control component accesses a first path which comprises at least one curved portion. The control component then determines a second path which is substantially parallel with the first path and which comprises a second curved portion that corresponds to the at least one curved portion of the first path. The control component then amends said second path wherein a radius of the second curved portion is at least equal to a minimum turning radius of the mobile machine.