AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE, IN PARTICULAR FEED MIXING VEHICLE, AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE

• US 20170364089A1
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B. Strautmann & Sohne GmbH u. Co. Kg
• Original Assignee: B. Strautmann & Söhne GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Strautmann, Wolfgang, Marquering, Johannes, Trabhardt, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 10,401,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 25/2027 for trench silos
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/001 Fodder distributors with mixer or shredder adaptations of cutting machine A01F29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A method for autonomously controlling a feed mixing vehicle, a vehicle having an autonomous controller, a computer program for carrying out the method, and a corresponding control device. The vehicle has a chassis, working elements for carrying out partial tasks, scanners and/or sensors for transmitting data, and at least one computer for controlling all the processes. The scanner/sensor acquires spatial data of the surroundings and generates therefrom a 3D map of the current geometry of the surroundings. The current geometry of the surroundings is placed in relationship with an area that is basically released to be traveled on by the autonomous vehicle, with the result that the navigability of the travel path of the autonomous vehicle can be checked, and in the case of detected non-navigability the travel path can be adapted autonomously to the requirements of the situational spatial surroundings and can be replaced by an alternative travel path.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an autonomous feed mixing vehicle from a starting point (S) to a destination point (Z), wherein the autonomous feed mixing vehicle comprises the following components:

an autonomously movable and controllable chassis;

working elements in the form of a drive engine, a traction drive and a steering system for the chassis;

at least one scanner and/or at least one sensor for transmitting data;

at least one computer which interacts with the scanners and/or the sensors,

wherein

the at least one scanner and/or the at least one sensor acquires surroundings data,

the computer determines from the acquired surroundings data a three-dimensional point cloud which maps the surroundings and is composed of individual points, wherein the position of the individual points is defined in each case by a point coordinate, and the point cloud characterizes overall the situational spatial surroundings,

the position of the location of the autonomous feed mixing vehicle is sensed and defined as a starting point (S) in the computer,

the computer determines a travel path between the starting point (S) and a predefined destination point (Z),

parameters which are predefined in the computer are compared with the point cloud which maps the surroundings, and

criteria which permit correction of the determined travel path to form a newly calculated travel path are predefined in the computer,

with the result that the travel path of the autonomous feed mixing vehicle can be checked for its navigability, and in the case of non-navigability being detected said travel path can be adapted autonomously to the requirements of the situational spatial surroundings and can be replaced by an alternative travel path,

whereby a two-dimensional map is determined on the basis of a static, three-dimensional map, through compression of the data relating to the third plane into a surface, and the data which is determined by the at least one scanner and/or the at least one sensor is placed in relationship with the static, three-dimensional map, with the result that the travel path which is provided on the basis of the static, three-dimensional map can be compared with the actual situation and it can be checked whether the travel path which is provided corresponds to predefined navigability requirements which are stored in the computer.

2. The method for controlling an autonomous feed mixing vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the static, three-dimensional map of the field of deployment of the autonomous vehicle is stored in the computer, and the data which are determined by the at least one scanner and/or the at least one sensor are placed in relationship with the static, three-dimensional map, with the result that a travel path which is provided on the basis of the static three-dimensional map can be compared with the actual situation and it can be checked whether the travel path which is provided corresponds to predefined navigability requests which are stored in the computer.

4. The method for controlling an autonomous feed mixing vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the case of non-navigability of the provided travel path an alternative travel path for reaching the provided destination point (Z) is determined autonomously by means of the computer on the basis of the stored two-dimensional or three-dimensional map and is used to actuate the destination point (Z).

5. The method for controlling an autonomous feed mixing vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the checking of the navigability of the travel path is carried out continuously.

6. The method for controlling an autonomous feed mixing vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein a 2D laser scanner is provided as the at least one scanner, which 2D laser scanner is rotated about a yaw angle, with the result that the rotational movement of the at least one scanner makes it possible to determine two-dimensional data in different planes and to derive data of a point cloud which maps the surrounding space in a three-dimensional fashion from the two-dimensional data of the different planes.

7. The method for controlling an autonomous feed mixing vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein position information on static objects and/or dynamic objects and/or variable objects are stored in different two-dimensional or three-dimensional data spaces in the computer.

8. The method for controlling an autonomous feed mixing vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the individual points are compared with objects and/or parameter sets of these objects stored in the computer, such as for example, a side wall, ground, different feedstuffs, the sky, obstacle and are classified on this basis; and

the individual points and/or the objects which are identified on the basis of the individual points are included in the determination of the travel path by the computer.

9. The method for controlling an autonomous feed mixing vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing a feed mixing vehicle as an autonomous vehicle, wherein:

the feed mixing vehicle comprises an extraction device,

different extraction strategies for controlling the receptacle device are stored in the computer for receiving different feedstuffs;

the structure of the feedstuff in the region of the extraction starting point is determined by means of the at least one scanner and/or the at least sensor and compared with structures and/or parameter sets of feedstuffs which are stored in the computer;

an extraction strategy is assigned to the identified structure in the region of the extraction starting point on the basis of predefined criteria; and

the computer actuates the receptacle device with the assigned extraction strategy.

10. The method for controlling an autonomous feed mixing vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein criteria on whose satisfaction the operation of the autonomous feed mixing vehicle is stopped by means of an emergency off device are predefined computer-internally.

3. (canceled)

11. A computer program product for carrying out a method for controlling an autonomous feed mixing vehicle from a starting point (S) to a destination point (Z), wherein the autonomous feed mixing vehicle comprises the following components:

an autonomously movable and controllable chassis;

working elements in the form of a drive engine, a traction drive and a steering system for the chassis;

at least one scanner and/or at least one sensor for transmitting data;

at least one computer which interacts with the scanners and/or the sensors, wherein

the at least one scanner and/or the at least one sensor acquires surroundings data

the computer determines from the acquired surroundings data a three-dimensional point cloud which maps the surroundings and is composed of individual points, wherein the position of the individual points is defined in each case by a point coordinate, and the point cloud characterizes overall the situational spatial surroundings,

the position of the location of the autonomous feed mixing vehicle is sensed and defined as a starting point (S) in the computer,

the computer determines a travel path between the starting point (S) and a predefined destination point (Z),

parameters which are predefined in the computer are compared with the point cloud which maps the surroundings, and

criteria which permit correction of the determined travel path to form a newly calculated travel path are predefined in the computer,

with the result that the travel path of the autonomous feed mixing vehicle can be checked for its navigability, and in the case of non-navigability being detected said travel path can be adapted autonomously to the requirements of the situational spatial surroundings and can be replaced by an alternative travel path,

whereby a two-dimensional map is determined on the basis of a static, three-dimensional map, through compression of the data relating to the third plane into a surface, and the data which is determined by the at least one scanner and/or the at least one sensor is placed in relationship with the static, three-dimensional map, with the result that the travel path which is provided on the basis of the static, three-dimensional map can be compared with the actual situation and it can be checked whether the travel path which is provided corresponds to predefined navigability requirements which are stored in the computer.

12. A control device, in particular a data processing system, for carrying out a method and/or for executing a computer program product, for controlling an autonomous feed mixing vehicle from a starting point (S) to a destination point (Z), wherein the autonomous feed mixing vehicle comprises the following components:

an autonomously movable and controllable chassis;

working elements in the form of a drive engine, a traction drive and a steering system for the chassis;

at least one scanner and/or at least one sensor for transmitting data;

at least one computer which interacts with the scanners and/or the sensors,

wherein

the at least one scanner and/or the at least one sensor acquires surroundings data

the computer determines from the acquired surroundings data a three-dimensional point cloud which maps the surroundings and is composed of individual points, wherein the position of the individual points is defined in each case by a point coordinate, and the point cloud characterizes overall the situational spatial surroundings,

the position of the location of the autonomous feed mixing vehicle is sensed and defined as a starting point (S) in the computer,

the computer determines a travel path between the starting point (S) and a predefined destination point (Z),

parameters which are predefined in the computer are compared with the point cloud which maps the surroundings, and

criteria which permit correction of the determined travel path to form a newly calculated travel path are predefined in the computer,

with the result that the travel path of the autonomous feed mixing vehicle can be checked for its navigability, and in the case of non-navigability being detected said travel path can be adapted autonomously to the requirements of the situational spatial surroundings and can be replaced by an alternative travel path,

whereby a two-dimensional map is determined on the basis of a static, three-dimensional map, through compression of the data relating to the third plane into a surface, and the data which is determined by the at least one scanner and/or the at least one sensor is placed in relationship with the static, three-dimensional map, with the result that the travel path which is provided on the basis of the static, three-dimensional map can be compared with the actual situation and it can be checked whether the travel path which is provided corresponds to predefined navigability requirements which are stored in the computer.

13. (canceled)

14. An autonomous feed mixing vehicle, comprising:

an autonomously movable and controllable chassis;

working elements in the form of a drive engine, a traction drive and a steering system for the chassis;

at least one scanner and/or at least one sensor for transmitting data; and

at least one computer which interacts with the at least one scanner and/or the at least one sensor,

the autonomous feed mixing vehicle set up for carrying out a method for controlling the autonomous feed mixing vehicle from a starting point (S) to a destination point (Z), wherein the autonomous feed mixing vehicle comprises the following components;

an autonomously movable and controllable chassis;

working elements in the form of a drive engine, a traction drive and a steering system for the chassis;

at least one scanner and/or at least one sensor for transmitting data;

at least one computer which interacts with the scanners and/or the sensors,

wherein

the at least one scanner and/or the at least one sensor acquires surroundings data,

the computer determines from the acquired surroundings data a three-dimensional point cloud which maps the surroundings and is composed of individual points, wherein the position of the individual points is defined in each case by a point coordinate, and the point cloud characterizes overall the situational spatial surroundings,

the position of the location of the autonomous feed mixing vehicle is sensed and defined as a starting point (S) in the computer,

the computer determines a travel path between the starting point (S) and a predefined destination point (Z),

parameters which are predefined in the computer are compared with the point cloud which maps the surroundings, and

criteria which permit correction of the determined travel path to form a newly calculated travel path are predefined in the computer,

with the result that the travel path of the autonomous feed mixing vehicle can be checked for its navigability, and in the case of non-navigability being detected said travel path can be adapted autonomously to the requirements of the situational spatial surroundings and can be replaced by an alternative travel path,

whereby a two-dimensional map is determined on the basis of a static, three-dimensional map, through compression of the data relating to the third plane into a surface, and the data which is determined by the at least one scanner and/or the at least one sensor is placed in relationship with the static, three-dimensional map, with the result that the travel path which is provided on the basis of the static, three-dimensional map can be compared with the actual situation and it can be checked whether the travel path which is provided corresponds to predefined navigability requirements which are stored in the computer.

16. The autonomous feed mixing vehicle as claimed in claim 14, comprising:

the autonomously movable and controllable chassis;

the working elements in the form of the drive engine, the traction drive and the steering system for the chassis;

the at least one scanner for transmitting data, wherein a 2D laser scanner is provided as the at least one scanner, which 2D laser scanner can be rotated about a yaw angle, with the result that the rotational movement of the at least one scanner makes it possible to determine two-dimensional data in different planes and to derive data of a point cloud which maps the surrounding space in a three-dimensional fashion from the two-dimensional data of the different planes; and

the at least one computer which interacts with the at least one scanner.

15. (canceled)