Autonomous Slot Dozing Machine Control via Elevation-Based Propulsion Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous and semi-autonomous machines operating in slot dozing operations face risks of tipping over or becoming buried due to significant elevation differences between adjacent slots, as they may deviate from their path and encounter berms, especially when the differences exceed certain thresholds.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a machine position sensor and controller to determine elevation differences between slots and adjust propulsion modes based on predefined thresholds, shifting between gears or requiring manual operation to maintain stability and prevent berm contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the machine operates autonomously or semi-autonomously in slot dozing operations, then productivity and consistency are improved, but the risk of tipping over or becoming buried increases due to inability to accurately follow the slot path
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the machine's actual position using GPS receivers and compares it with the planned slot path. When deviations are detected, the control system automatically adjusts the machine's operation to remain within safe boundaries, providing real-time feedback control that prevents tipping and burial risks while maintaining autonomous productivity
Solution Approach 2:
Before the machine operates in autonomous mode, the system pre-calculates safe operating boundaries by determining the lateral offset distance from the slot centerline based on the machine's width and the berm height. This preliminary action establishes preventive safety margins that guide the machine's path planning, ensuring it maintains a safe distance from adjacent slots before any deviation can occur
2Reliability
If the machine maintains a larger lateral offset from the slot centerline, then the risk of entering adjacent slots is reduced, but the productivity and efficiency of material moving operations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the lateral offset distance based on real-time conditions rather than using a fixed conservative margin. The control system continuously calculates the optimal offset by considering the actual berm height, machine dimensions, and slot geometry, allowing the machine to operate closer to the slot centerline when safe, thereby maximizing productivity while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the lateral offset parameter adaptively by calculating it as a function of machine-specific parameters (width, height) and site-specific parameters (berm height, slot spacing). This parameter optimization allows the machine to use the minimum safe offset distance for each specific operating condition, balancing risk reduction with productivity maximization
Data Source
AI summary
A system for automated control of a machine along a first slot in a work surface includes a machine position sensor and a controller. The controller is configured to determine an elevation difference between each pair of laterally aligned positions of the first slot and a second adjacent slot, generate a first propulsion command to operate the machine according to a first propulsion mode while the machine is disposed along the first slot adjacent each pair of laterally aligned positions at which the elevation difference is less than a slot elevation difference threshold, and generate a second propulsion command to operate the machine according to a second propulsion mode while the machine is disposed along the first slot adjacent each pair of laterally aligned positions at which the elevation difference is greater than the slot elevation difference threshold.