Autonomous agriculture platform guidance system

• US 8,180,514 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rocona Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rocona Incorporated
• Inventors: Kaprielian, Craig L., Aivazian, Bryan L., Bry, Adam, Lorenc, Aleksander, Cavolowsky, Mark, Kalcic, Andrew, Barrett, David
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/125,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20080294309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/26, 701/27, 701/50, 701/205, 701/207, 342/357.31, 172/4.5, 172/9
• US Class Current: 701/27
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A guidance system for an agriculture platform that is capable of making decisions concerning the platforms direction and velocity regarding the pathway the platform is moving along as well as obstacles in the path of the platform, is provided. The autonomous agricultural platform guidance system and method will make it possible for small scale farming to take up automated mechanical farming practices which are currently only practical for large scale farming thus improving land utilization efficiency while lowering manpower costs dramatically.

Claims

1. A system of guidance for an automated agriculture platform comprising:

a. a platform comprising a means of locomotion and control for guiding and propelling said platform;

b. sensing apparatus mounted on said platform comprising a global positioning system and a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) unit;

c. a means of decision processing for determining the position of said controls comprising a central processing unit and/or artificial intelligence electronics;

d. a means of communication between said sensing apparatus and said central processing unit and/or artificial intelligence electronics; and

e. a means of communication between said central processing unit and/or artificial intelligence electronics and said controls mounted on said platform.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said platform is selected from the group consisting of a tractor, an all-terrain vehicle, a jeep, a truck, and a tracked vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said controls comprise a velocity pedal actuator and a steering actuator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said means of decision processing is determined by performing an analysis from the group consisting of state estimation, cross tracker, motion control, and actuator control.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said state estimation is calculated by analyzing

a. a present position of said platform with a desired position of said platform;

and

b. a present theta of said platform with a desired theta of said platform.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said present position and said present theta are established using data selected from a group consisting of comprising said global positioning system and said LIDAR unit.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein said cross tracker is a calculation that is calculated to create a perpendicular error line from said platform'"'"'s current position in relation to said platform'"'"'s desired path.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said calculation is established using data selected from the group consisting of said global positioning system and said LIDAR unit.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein:

said controls comprise a velocity pedal actuator and a steering actuator; and

said actuator control is determined by a steering torque associated with the steering actuator and a velocity pedal torque associated with the velocity pedal actuator.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said steering torque is established by comparing a desired steering position of said steering actuator with an actual steering position of said steering actuator.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said velocity pedal torque is determined by comparing a present position of said velocity pedal actuator of said platform with a desired position of said velocity pedal actuator.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein an emergency stop circuit in constant communication with said central processing unit is mounted to said platform.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said platform is manually driven through a pathway and said at least one sensor gathers data and communicates said data to said central processing unit.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein said sensing apparatus further comprises an inertial measurement unit and a touch sensor both mounted on said platform.

15. A system of guidance for an automated agriculture platform comprising:

a. a platform comprising a means of locomotion and control for guiding and propelling said platform;

b. one or more types of sensing apparatus mounted on said platform selected from the group consisting of a global positioning system, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) unit, an inertial measurement unit, and a touch sensor;

c. a means of decision processing for determining the position of said controls comprising a central processing unit and/or artificial intelligence electronics, said means of decision processing being determined by performing an analysis from the group consisting of state estimation, cross tracker, actuator control, and motion control;

said motion control being an analysis of;

(1) a command from a switch in constant communication with said central processing unit, wherein said command is selected from the group consisting of go, stop and done; and

(2) a present theta of said platform and a desired theta of said platform;

d. a means of communication between said sensing apparatus and said central processing unit and/or artificial intelligence electronics; and

e. a means of communication between said central processing unit and/or artificial intelligence electronics and said controls mounted on said platform.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said analysis is established using data selected from the group consisting of said global positioning system, and said inertial measurement unit.

17. A system of guidance for an automated agriculture platform comprising:

a. a platform comprising a means of locomotion and control for guiding and propelling said platform;

b. one or more types of sensing apparatus mounted on said platform selected from the group consisting of a global positioning system, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) unit, an inertial measurement unit, and a touch sensor;

c. a means of decision processing for determining the position of said controls comprising a central processing unit and/or artificial intelligence electronics;

d. a means of communication between said sensing apparatus and said central processing unit and/or artificial intelligence electronics;

e. a means of communication between said central processing unit and/or artificial intelligence electronics and said controls mounted on said platform; and

f. an emergency stop circuit in constant communication with said central processing unit mounted to said platform, said emergency stop circuit being triggered by an event selected from a group consisting of;

a. the pressing of a manual emergency stop button;

b. said touch sensor is triggered;

c. said LIDAR senses an object in said platform'"'"'s path;

d. a computer and/or artificial intelligence electronics is not in a ready state; and

e. said platform is in manual mode.

18. A method of guidance for an automated agriculture platform comprising a means of locomotion and controls for guiding and propelling said platform, the method comprising:

determining said guidance by;

a. data regarding obstacles in a path of said platform; and

b. data regarding a position of said platform;

analyzing said data by a central processing unit, said analysis is selected from the group consisting of

a. state estimation;

b. cross tracker;

c. motion control; and

d. actuator control;

determining said motion control by comparing motion control data regarding;

a. a present theta of said platform and a desired theta of said platform; and

b. a command from a switch located on said platform in constant communication with said central processing unit where said command is selected from a group consisting of

1. go;

2. stop; and

3. done.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said motion control data is provided by a sensor selected from a group consisting of a global positioning system and an inertial measurement unit.

20. A method of guidance for an automated agriculture platform comprising a means of locomotion and controls for guiding and propelling said platform, the method comprising:

determining said guidance by;

a. data regarding obstacles in a path of said platform; and

b. data regarding a position of said platform;

analyzing said data by a central processing unit, an emergency stop circuit being in constant communication with said central processing unit is mounted to said platform, said emergency stop circuit being triggered by an event selected from a group consisting;

a. a pressing of a manual emergency stop button;

b. a triggering of a touch sensor;

c. sensing an object in said platforms path by a light detecting and ranging (LIDAR) unit;

d. a computer and/or artificial intelligence electronics not being in a ready state; and

e. said platform being in manual mode.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said platform is manually driven through a pathway and least one sensor gathers data and communicates said data to said central processing unit.

22. A method for autonomously guiding an agricultural platform comprising:

autonomously driving an agricultural platform along a pathway defined between rows of plants, the pathway having first and second laterally spaced-apart pathway segments, each pathway segment having first and second ends with the second end of the first pathway segment laterally aligned with the first end of the second pathway segment, by;

identifying the ends of the pathway segments with row end location data;

generating real-time light detection and ranging (LIDAR) navigational data corresponding to the rows of plants along the pathway segments and any obstacles along the pathway segments; and

controlling the direction of movement and speed of movement of the agricultural platform based upon at least the row end location data and the LIDAR navigation data.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

a teaching step comprising;

guiding the agricultural platform in a manual mode along the pathway; and

recording pathway information from the guiding step including the row end location data; and

wherein;

controlling the direction of movement and speed of movement of the agricultural platform is based upon at least the pathway information, the row end location data and the LIDAR navigation data.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said controlling step comprises controlling a velocity pedal actuator and a steering actuator.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein said direction of movement controlling step is carried out using data regarding the position of said platform provided by a sensor selected from a group consisting of a global positioning system and an inertial measurement unit.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein said autonomously driving step is carried out using at least one of the following as the agricultural platform:

a. a tractor;

b. a jeep;

c. an all-terrain vehicle;

d. a tracked vehicle; and

e. a truck.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein said data is analyzed by a central processing unit.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said controlling step is carried out using at least one of:

a. state estimation;

b. cross tracker;

c. motion control; and

d. actuator control.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein said controlling step comprises comparing state estimation data regarding:

a. a present position of said platform and a desired position of said platform; and

b. a present theta of said platform and a desired theta of said platform.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said state estimation data is provided by a sensor selected from a group consisting of a global positioning system and an inertial measurement unit.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein said controlling step comprises comparing cross tracker data regarding:

a. a present position of said platform and a desired position of said platform;

b. a present theta of said platform and a desired theta of said platform; and

c. present LIDAR data regarding a pathway the platform is moving through.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said cross tracker data is provided by a sensor selected from a group consisting of a global positioning system and a LIDAR unit.