Method and control system for surveying and mapping a terrain while operating a bulldozer
First Claim
1. A method for generating scaled terrain information while operating a bulldozer, the bulldozer comprisinga driving unit comprising:
- a set of drive wheels being part of a continuous track, anda motor connected to at least one of the drive wheels for providing movability of the bulldozer,a blade for altering the surface of the terrain,at least one camera for capturing images of the environment, the camera being positioned and aligned in a known manner relative to the bulldozer, anda controlling and processing unit,wherein the method comprises;
moving the bulldozer in the terrain whilst concurrently generating a set of image data by capturing an image series of terrain sections with the at least one camera so that at least two successive images of the image series cover an amount of identical points in the terrain, wherein the terrain sections are defined by a viewing field of the at least one camera at respective positions of the camera while moving,and either applyinga simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) algorithm ora stereo photogrammetry algorithmto the set of image data and thereby deriving terrain data, the terrain data comprisinga point cloud representing the captured terrain andposition data relating to a relative position of the bulldozer in the terrain, andscaling the point cloud by applying an absolute scale information to the terrain data.
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Abstract
A Method for generating scaled terrain information while operating a bulldozer. The bulldozer may include a driving unit comprising a set of drive wheels, a motor connected to at least one of the drive wheels, a blade for altering the surface of the terrain, at least one camera for capturing images of the environment, the camera being positioned and aligned in a known manner relative to the bulldozer, and a controlling and processing unit. A method may include moving the bulldozer while concurrently generating a set of image data by capturing an image series of terrain sections with the at least one camera so that at least two images of the image series cover an amount of identical points in the terrain, and either applying a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm or a stereo photogrammetry algorithm to the set of image data and thereby deriving terrain data.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for generating scaled terrain information while operating a bulldozer, the bulldozer comprising
a driving unit comprising: -
a set of drive wheels being part of a continuous track, and a motor connected to at least one of the drive wheels for providing movability of the bulldozer, a blade for altering the surface of the terrain, at least one camera for capturing images of the environment, the camera being positioned and aligned in a known manner relative to the bulldozer, and a controlling and processing unit, wherein the method comprises; moving the bulldozer in the terrain whilst concurrently generating a set of image data by capturing an image series of terrain sections with the at least one camera so that at least two successive images of the image series cover an amount of identical points in the terrain, wherein the terrain sections are defined by a viewing field of the at least one camera at respective positions of the camera while moving, and either applying a simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) algorithm or a stereo photogrammetry algorithm to the set of image data and thereby deriving terrain data, the terrain data comprising a point cloud representing the captured terrain and position data relating to a relative position of the bulldozer in the terrain, and scaling the point cloud by applying an absolute scale information to the terrain data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20)
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15. A control system for use with a bulldozer, the bulldozer comprising:
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a driving unit comprising a set of drive wheels, and a motor connected to at least one of the drive wheels for providing movability of the bulldozer and a blade for altering the surface of the terrain, and the control system comprising at least one camera for capturing images of a terrain, the camera to be positioned and aligned in a known manner relative to the bulldozer, and a controlling and processing unit, wherein; the control system provides a functionality adapted to generate scaled terrain information by executing, respectively controlling, following steps; concurrently generating a set of image data by capturing an image series of terrain sections with the camera whilst moving the bulldozer in the terrain so that at least two images of the image series cover an amount of identical points in the terrain, wherein the terrain sections are defined by a viewing area of the camera at respective positions of the camera while moving, either applying; a simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) algorithm or a stereo photogrammetry algorithm to the set of image data and thereby deriving terrain data, the terrain data comprising a point cloud representing the captured terrain and position data relating to a relative position of the bulldozer in the terrain, and scaling the point cloud by applying an absolute scale information to the terrain data. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification