Trimble Inc.

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Justin Creaby

Thomas Esbensen

Gustav Hoegh

Brandon Sights

Joshua Rands

Juan Carlos Santamaria

Shantnu Kakkar

Riley Kenyon

Scott Shambaugh

Disclosed are a method and apparatus for avoiding collisions with obstacles by a first vehicle using sensors on an accompanying second vehicle. The second vehicle navigates proximate the first vehicle while aiming an obstacle detection sensor at a path of the first vehicle to detect objects in the path of the first vehicle. The locations of the objects are determined and transmitted to the first vehicle.

Fusing obstacle data for autonomous vehicles

Disclosed are a method and apparatus for determining the heading of a 4WS vehicle. The 4WS vehicle's dynamic pivot point is calculated from the steering angles. A distance between the dynamic pivot point and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antenna is determined. A time delay is determined in the form of the distance between the GNSS antenna and the pivot point divided by the current vehicle horizontal velocity. The time delay is multiplied by a vehicle yaw rate to obtain a result which is added to a GNSS antenna heading to give a true heading. A control point for the 4WS vehicle is selected to allow that control point to follow a desired trajectory.

Techniques for controlling autonomous 4WS vehicles

Disclosed are techniques for avoiding collisions with obstacles by a vehicle, in particular an off-road vehicle. Objects are detected with sensors in a calculated projected path zone of the vehicle footprint based on a vehicle trajectory. Possible path zones on either side of the projected path zone where the vehicle could potentially go with a change in trajectory are determined. The vehicle is slowed down or stopped for objects in the projected path and is slowed less for objects within the possible path zones.

Avoiding collisions with autonomous off-road vehicles

Described herein are systems, methods, and other techniques for damping oscillations of an implement of a vehicle while the vehicle is moving. Sensor data is captured using one or more sensors that are attached to the vehicle. The sensor data is analyzed to extract one or both of symmetric oscillation information or asymmetric oscillation information. One or both of a speed damping signal or a steering damping signal are generated based on analyzing the sensor data. The speed damping signal is generated in response to extracting the symmetric oscillation information and the steering damping signal is generated in response to extracting the asymmetric oscillation information. A movement of the vehicle is modified using one or both of the speed damping signal or the steering damping signal.

Control system to dampen structural oscillations of vehicle implements

Embodiments describe a method for positioning a hinged vehicle including a primary part and a secondary part coupled to the primary part at a project site. The method includes receiving, from an image capturing device, digital image data representing one or more features of the secondary part; performing image analysis on the digital image data to identify positions of the one or more features of the secondary part; identifying an angle of at least a portion of the secondary part; calculating a current position of the secondary part based on the angle; calculating a positional difference between a correct position at the project site for the secondary part and a current position of the secondary part at the project site; and initiating a change in a position of the primary part to compensate for the positional difference and to position the secondary part on the correct position.

Pose estimation and applications using computer imaging

A method of path planning for an autonomous vehicle to make a turn includes receiving a request for a turn of a vehicle from a current swath to a next swath in a work area. The work area has a headland at a periphery thereof, and the headland is characterized by a guidance line therethrough. The method further includes receiving information of the current swath, information of the next swath, and information of the guidance line, and determining a trajectory of the turn based on the information of the current swath, the information of the next swath, and the information of the guidance line. The trajectory includes one or more segments. At least a portion of a first segment of the one or more segments follows the guidance line in the headland. The method further includes, outputting the trajectory to a control system of the vehicle for executing the turn.

Headland-following turns

A method of maintaining vehicle formation includes receiving a desired cross track offset distance and a desired along track offset distance between a lead vehicle and a follower vehicle; receiving a current position, a current yaw rate, and a current speed of the lead vehicle; determining a current turn radius of the lead vehicle based on the current yaw rate and the current speed of the lead vehicle; determining a projected turn radius of the follower vehicle based on the current turn radius of the lead vehicle, the desired cross track offset distance, and the desired along track offset distance; determining a commanded curvature and a next speed of the follower vehicle based on a current position of the follower vehicle and the projected turn radius of the follower vehicle; and outputting the next speed and the commanded curvature to a control system of the follower vehicle.

Techniques for maintaining offsets in vehicle formations

A method of maintaining vehicle formation includes receiving a desired formation distance between a lead vehicle and a follower vehicle; receiving a pre-planned path for the follower vehicle; and defining a dynamic zone around a current position of the lead vehicle. The dynamic zone has a boundary characterized by a first radius from the current position of the lead vehicle. The first radius can be substantially equal to the desired formation distance. The method further includes determining a next speed of the follower vehicle based on a current position of the follower vehicle with respect to the boundary of the dynamic zone; determining a commanded curvature of the follower vehicle based on the current position of the follower vehicle with respect to the pre-planned path; and outputting the next speed and the commanded curvature to a control system of the follower vehicle for navigation of the follower vehicle.

Techniques for maintaining vehicle formations

A method of maintaining vehicle formation includes receiving a desired along path distance; receiving a plurality of waypoints corresponding to a plurality of positions along a path of the lead vehicle; determining a dynamic path for the follower vehicle by spline fitting the plurality of positions of the plurality of waypoints; determining a commanded curvature of the follower vehicle based on a curvature of the dynamic path at a current position of the follower vehicle; determining a current along path distance between the lead vehicle and the follower vehicle; determining an along path error; determining a next speed of the follower vehicle based on the along path error and the respective waypoint speed of the respective waypoint that is adjacent to a current position of the follower vehicle; and outputting the commanded curvature and the next speed to a control system of the follower vehicle.

Path following in vehicle formations

A method of path planning for a vehicle includes receiving a request for a turn from a current swath to a next swath, receiving information of the current swath and information of the next swath, determining a trajectory of the turn based on the information of the current swath and the information of the next swath, and outputting the trajectory to a control system of the vehicle for executing the turn. The trajectory includes a first segment and a second segment. The first segment starts from a beginning position of the turn at the current swath and ends at an intermediate position; and the second segment starts from the intermediate position and ends at an ending position of the turn at the next swath. The vehicle changes from a forward gear to a reverse gear, or vice versa, as the vehicle transitions from the first segment to the second segment.

Multi-segment turns

A method of detecting steering wheel angle instability in an auto-guided vehicle includes measuring a steering wheel angle at a plurality of time instances within a pre-determined time window to obtain an array of values of the steering wheel angle, performing a frequency analysis of the array of values of the steering wheel angle to obtain a frequency spectrum of the steering wheel angle, comparing the frequency spectrum of the steering wheel angle to a pre-defined threshold frequency spectrum to determine whether a magnitude of the frequency spectrum of the steering wheel angle at any frequency exceeds a magnitude of the threshold frequency spectrum, and upon determining that a magnitude of the frequency spectrum of the steering wheel angle at one or more frequencies exceeds a magnitude of the pre-defined threshold frequency spectrum, determining that a steering wheel angle instability is present.

Steering instability detection

A method to individually optimize respective pitch angles of blades in a wind turbine. The method allows supplying () a modulation signal to modulate a pitch angle of the individual blade being optimized. The method further allows filtering () output power of the turbine subject to the modulating frequency to extract a power signal in a frequency spectrum including the modulating frequency. The extracted power signal and a demodulation signal are mixed () to generate a signal including a product of the extracted power signal and the demodulation signal. The generated signal is filtered () to remove the modulating frequency and extract a gradient signal effective to search a pitch angle estimate conducive to optimize output power of the turbine. The gradient signal may be integrated () to cause the gradient signal to converge towards an optimal pitch angle for the individual blade being optimized.

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Westminster, CO, United States of America

Justin Creaby