Worksite Path Planning Using Virtual Layout and Crew Workflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current practices in lawn maintenance and vegetation management often rely on experience and intuition, leading to inefficiencies and inaccuracies in determining equipment paths and crew workflows, which can result in suboptimal lawn health, quality of cut, and operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an autonomous vehicle equipped with a camera and position sensor, which captures image data of a worksite and generates a virtual layout. This data is then processed by a worksite analysis engine to generate efficient equipment paths and crew workflows, taking into account available equipment and crew members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional experience-based practices are used for lawn maintenance, then operational flexibility is maintained, but worksite efficiency and accuracy in determining equipment paths and crew workflows deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing worksite images and generating virtual layouts before equipment deployment. The processor analyzes the virtual layout to determine optimal equipment paths and crew workflows in advance, allowing crews to execute pre-planned efficient routes rather than relying on intuition during actual maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy or replica of the physical worksite through image capture and processing. This virtual layout serves as a digital twin that the processor analyzes to determine equipment paths, eliminating the need for complex real-time calculations while maintaining high accuracy in path determination.
2Manufacturing precision
If intuitive methods are used to determine equipment paths, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but manufacturing precision and quality of cut deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual intuitive path determination with an automated image processing and analysis system. The processor analyzes the virtual layout generated from captured images to compute precise equipment paths, substituting human intuition with algorithmic analysis that consistently delivers high-quality results.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual layout acts as an intermediary between the physical worksite and the equipment operation. Instead of directly translating intuitive understanding into equipment paths, the system first creates a processed virtual representation that the analyzer can systematically evaluate to generate precise paths.
3Measurement precision
If experience-based quoting processes are used, then operational simplicity is maintained, but measurement precision and accuracy in determining man-hours deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the virtual layout and equipment path analysis to provide feedback on the actual work required at each worksite. By analyzing the specific characteristics of each location through image processing, the system generates accurate, site-specific quotes for man-hours and costs, then can track actual performance against these predictions.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems, methods, and apparatuses for worksite equipment path planning is provided. An example system may include an autonomous vehicle configured to operate a camera and position sensor to capture image data associated with a worksite. The system may also include a worksite analysis engine comprising processing circuitry configured to receive the image data of the worksite captured by the autonomous vehicle and generate a virtual layout of the worksite based on the image data. The worksite analysis engine may also receive equipment data and crew data, and generate a workflow based on the virtual layout, the equipment data, and the crew data. The workflow may include workflow assignments for each crew member at the worksite, each workflow assignment indicating a task, equipment to perform the task, and an equipment path for the task.