Built Robotics Inc.

Ammar Idris Kothari

Noah Austen Ready-Campbell

Andrew Xiao Liang

Gaurav Jitendra Kikani

James Alan Emerick

Sarah Marie Thornton

Pradeesh Suganthan

Lucas Allen Bruder

Edward Joseph Garza

Christian John Wawrzonek

Thomas Pech

Evan West

Alan Argondizza

Hee Gu Yea

An excavation vehicle capable of autonomously actuating an excavation tool or navigating an excavation vehicle to perform an excavation routine within an excavation site is described herein. Sensors mounted to the excavation vehicle and the excavation tool produce signals representative of a position and orientation of the corresponding joint relative on the excavation vehicle relative to the excavation site, a position and orientation of the excavation vehicle relative to the excavation site, and one or more features of the excavation site based on the position of the excavation vehicle within the excavation site. A set of solenoids are configured to couple to corresponding hydraulic valves of the excavation tool to actuate the valve. A controller produces actuating signals to control the joints of the excavation tool to autonomously perform the excavation routine based on the signals produced by the sensors.

Sensor retrofit to autonomously actuate an excavation vehicle

This description provides an autonomous or semi-autonomous excavation vehicle that is capable of navigating through a dig site and carrying an excavation routine using a system of sensors physically mounted to the excavation vehicle. The sensors collect one or more of spatial, imaging, measurement, and location data representing the status of the excavation vehicle and its surrounding environment. Based on the collected data, the excavation vehicle executes instructions to perform an excavation routine by excavating earth from a hole using an excavation tool positioned at a single location within the site. The excavation vehicle is also able to carry out numerous other tasks, such as checking the volume of excavated earth in an excavation tool, navigating the excavation vehicle over a distance while continuously excavating earth from a below surface depth, and preparing a digital terrain model of the site as part of a process for creating the excavation routine.

Excavating earth from a dig site using an excavation vehicle

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.

Filling earth into a vehicle using a cooperative fleet of vehicles

This description provides an autonomous or semi-autonomous earth shaping vehicle that is capable of cooperatively executing an earth shaping routine in a dig site with other earth shaping vehicles. A first earth shaping vehicle configured with a tool for excavating earth navigates to a dig location containing earth to be excavated. The first earth shaping vehicle identifies a loading location where the first vehicle may transfer earth to a second earth shaping vehicle configured with a tool for hauling earth between locations. Upon navigating to the loading location and detecting the second earth shaping vehicle at the loading location, the first earth shaping vehicle transfers earth from its excavation tool to the hauling tool of the second earth shaping vehicle.

Loading earth into a vehicle using a cooperative fleet of vehicles

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Ammar Idris Kothari