EP-4741975-A1 - MOWING PATH PLANNING INCLUDING SKIPPED PASSES

EP4741975A1EP 4741975 A1EP4741975 A1EP 4741975A1EP-4741975-A1

Abstract

A mowing vehicle may access a work site representing the field, the work site a data structure comprising polygons representing workable areas and polygons representing unworkable areas. A mowing vehicle may access a set of machine constraints for the autonomous mowing machine. A mowing vehicle may apply a first model to the work site and set of machine constraints to generate a plurality of tracks through the field for the autonomous mowing machine. A mowing vehicle may apply a second model to the plurality of tracks and the plurality of areas to generate a scheduled order of passes for the autonomous mowing machine. A mowing vehicle may control the autonomous mowing machine to traverse the plurality of passes through the field according to the path schedule.

Inventors

Procuniar, Steven R
LIU, QIANG R
PUHALLA, Jeffry S
MARRY, Christopher J
SMITH, DANIEL R

Assignees

Deere & Company

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20251104

Claims (12)

A method for determining a path schedule for an autonomous mowing machine to take passes through a field, the method comprising: accessing a work site data structure representing the field, the work site data structure comprising polygons representing workable areas and polygons representing unworkable areas; accessing a set of machine constraints for the autonomous mowing machine; applying a first model to the work site data structure and set of machine constraints to generate a plurality of tracks through the field for the autonomous mowing machine, the model configured to: generate a plurality of areas within the work site data structure based on the polygons representing workable areas and polygons representing unworkable areas, for each group, determining a set of tracks that causes the autonomous mowing machine to traverse an entire area represented by the group, and wherein the set of tracks for each group, in aggregate, form the plurality of tracks; applying a second model to the plurality of tracks and the plurality of areas to generate a scheduled order of passes for the autonomous mowing machine, the second model configured to: access path preferences representing how the autonomous mowing machine performs passes in the field; generating a path schedule for the autonomous mowing machine by ordering the plurality of passes according to the accessed path preferences; autonomously controlling the autonomous mowing machine to traverse the plurality of passes through the field according to the path schedule.
The method of claim 1, wherein the polygons further include one or more headlands, the headlands defining area accessible to the autonomous mowing machine for performing turns at an end of a pass.
The method of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein generating the plurality of areas is further based on at least one of: a shape of a polygon, or adjacency between polygons.
The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein accessing the work site data structure includes receiving one or more sensor measurements from the autonomous mowing machine during traversal of the field to determine one or more boundary data.
The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein accessing the work site data structure includes retrieving one or more boundary data from a data storage.
The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the set of machine constraints includes a mowing deck size, a turning radius, a traversal speed, or an energy usage.
The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the path schedule causes the autonomous mowing machine to navigate traversal of passes within a plurality of groups.
The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein by ordering the plurality of passes according to the accessed path preferences orders the paths according to a period of traversal.
The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein by ordering the plurality of passes according to the accessed path preferences orders the paths according to a distance of traversal.
The method of any one of the preceding claims , wherein by ordering the plurality of passes according to the accessed path preferences orders the paths according to an energy usage of traverse.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for determining a path schedule for an autonomous mowing machine to take passes through a field, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to perform the method of any one of the preceding claims.
An autonomous mowing machine comprising: an actuation system configured to control traversal of the autonomous mowing machine in a field; one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for determining a path schedule for an autonomous mowing machine to take passes through the field, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to perform steps comprising: accessing a work site data structure representing the field, the work site data structure comprising polygons representing workable areas and polygons representing unworkable areas; accessing a set of machine constraints for the autonomous mowing machine; applying a first model to the work site data structure and set of machine constraints to generate a plurality of tracks through the field for the autonomous mowing machine, the model configured to: generate a plurality of areas within the work site data structure based on the polygons representing workable areas and polygons representing unworkable areas, for each group, determining a set of tracks that causes the autonomous mowing machine to traverse an entire area represented by the group, and wherein the set of tracks for each group, in aggregate, form the plurality of tracks; applying a second model to the plurality of tracks and the plurality of areas to generate a scheduled order of passes for the autonomous mowing machine, the second model configured to: access path preferences representing how the autonomous mowing machine performs passes in the field; generating a path schedule for the autonomous mowing machine by ordering the plurality of passes according to the accessed path preferences; autonomously controlling the autonomous mowing machine to traverse the plurality of passes through the field according to the path schedule.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to systems, methods, and devices for path planning of grass mowing machines wherein the path planning includes skipping one or more passes which are mowed later in the path plan. BACKGROUND Grass mowing machines, or mowers, may be manual and/or autonomous and are used to cut grass, also called turf. The mower may include path planning system(s), method(s), and/or device(s). These may provide the mower and/or user with a path for mowing the turf. A path plan may require the mower to turn. In some situations, the mower may be required to make sharp turns, including but not limited to turns at or near 180 degrees. Sharp turns may take the form of a lightbulb turn or a three-point turn. Both types of turns can be undesirable, for example both can result in damage to the turf. Moreover, turns that require sharp changes in steering angle, including lightbulb and three-point turns, cause more wear to machine components. Grass mowing machines may be used in a variety of applications including, but not limited to, residential mowing, commercial mowing, and/or golf mowing. SUMMARY In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method for determining a path schedule for an autonomous mowing machine to take passes through a field, the method including: accessing a work site data structure representing the field, the work site data structure including polygons representing workable areas and polygons representing unworkable areas; accessing a set of machine constraints for the autonomous mowing machine; applying a first model to the work site data structure and set of machine constraints to generate a plurality of tracks through the field for the autonomous mowing machine, the model configured to: generate a plurality of areas within the work site data structure based on the polygons representing workable areas and polygons representing unworkable areas, for each group, determining a set of tracks that causes the autonomous mowing machine to traverse an entire area represented by the group, and wherein the set of tracks for each group, in aggregate, form the plurality of tracks; applying a second model to the plurality of tracks and the plurality of areas to generate a scheduled order of passes for the autonomous mowing machine, the second model configured to: access path preferences representing how the autonomous mowing machine performs passes in the field; generating a path schedule for the autonomous mowing machine by ordering the plurality of passes according to the accessed path preferences; autonomously controlling the autonomous mowing machine to traverse the plurality of passes through the field according to the path schedule. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the polygons further include one or more headlands, the headlands defining area accessible to the autonomous mowing machine for performing turns at an end of a pass. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein generating the plurality of areas is further based on at least one of: a shape of a polygon, or adjacency between polygons. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein accessing the work site data structure includes receiving one or more sensor measurements from the autonomous mowing machine during traversal of the field to determine one or more boundary data. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein accessing the work site data structure includes retrieving one or more boundary data from a data storage. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the set of machine constraints includes a mowing deck size, a turning radius, a traversal speed, or an energy usage. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the path schedule causes the autonomous mowing machine to navigate traversal of passes within a plurality of groups. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein by ordering the plurality of passes according to the accessed path preferences orders the paths according to a period of traversal. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein by ordering the plurality of passes according to the accessed path preferences orders the paths according to a distance of traversal. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein by ordering the plurality of passes according to the accessed path preferences orders the paths according to an energy usage of traverse. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for determining a path schedule for an autonomous mowing machine to take passes through a field, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to perform step