Obstacle detection and manipulation by a vehicle within a dig site

Abstract

This description provides an autonomous or semi-autonomous excavation vehicle that is capable determining a route between a start point and an end point in a site and navigating over the route. The sensors collect any or more of spatial, imaging, measurement, and location data to detect an obstacle between two locations within the site. Based on the collected data and identified obstacles, the excavation vehicle generates unobstructed routes circumventing the obstacles, obstructed routes traveling through the obstacles, and instructions for removing certain modifiable obstacles. The excavation vehicle determines and selects the shortest route of the unobstructed and obstructed route and navigates over the selected path to move within the site.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for determining a route through a site, the method comprising:
 identifying, by an earth moving vehicle (EMV) positioned at a start point in the site, an end point in the site, wherein the end point represents a location in the site where the EMV is to perform an EMV operation;   generating, by a computer communicatively coupled to the EMV, a route between the start point and the end point, the start point and the end point represented as coordinates in a coordinate space of the site;   performing, for the generated route, an operation that applies a cost function to determine a resource cost for the EMV to navigate from the start point to the end point, wherein the cost function considers a weighted combination of environmental conditions in the site that may affect navigation of the EMV from the start point to the end point; and   responsive to determining that the resource cost of the generated route is a lowest considered resource cost for navigating between the start point and the end point, navigating the EMV along the generated route between the start point and the end point.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the EMV operation is a set of instructions configured to cause the EMV to perform one or more of:
 move material from the location in the site to a second location in the site;   measure a volume of material at the location in the site;   excavate material from the location in the site;   grade material at the location in the site;   deposit material at the location in the site; and   compact material at the at the location of the site.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the end point is identified by a remote operator. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an environmental condition of the weighted combination of environmental conditions considered by the cost function is a modifiable obstacle, and wherein generating the route between the start point and the end point comprises:
 generating instructions for removing the modifiable obstacle from the site by adjusting a position of a tool mounted to the EMV, the instructions for removing the modifiable obstacle generated based on structural properties of the obstacle; and   generating an obstructed route between the start point and the end point that includes the generated instructions for removing the modifiable obstacle.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an environmental condition of the weighted combination of environmental conditions is one of:
 an obstacle obstructing navigation of the EMV from the start point to the end point;   a condition causing physical wear and tear on a surface of the EMV; and   a risk averse area of the site, wherein conditions in the risk averse area detrimentally affect functionality of the EMV.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the obstacle is a feature of the site capable of hindering the navigation of the EMV, the feature comprising one of:
 a structure within the site;   a material within the site;   a target tool path comprising instructions for an alternate EMV to navigate between the start point and the end point;   a digital feature of a representation of the site, the digital feature further comprising one of:
 a geofence within the site; 
 a route generated for a second EMV; and 
 a digital representation of the obstacle; 
   one or more individuals in the site; and   one or more pieces of equipment in the site.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the risk averse area of the site comprises one or more of:
 an area of wet material in the site;   a rocky area in the site;   a large body of water in the site; and   an area in the site where the EMV cannot safely navigate.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to determining that the resource cost of the generated route is not the lowest considered resource cost for navigating between the start point and the end point, accessing a set of candidate routes between the start point and the end point, each candidate route of the set of candidate routes comprising unique instructions for navigating the EMV from the start point to the end point;   identifying, from the set of candidate routes, an alternate route from the set of candidate routes with the lowest considered resource cost for navigating between the start point and the end point; and   navigating the EMV along the alternate route from the start point to the end point.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the generated route is an unobstructed route, the method further comprising:
 responsive to determining that the resource cost of the generated route is not the lowest considered resource cost for navigating between the start point and the end point, generating an obstructed route between the start point and the end point, the obstructed route comprising instructions for navigating the EMV through obstacles between the start point and the end point and instructions for removing the obstacles between the start point and the end point;   performing the operation that applies the cost function to the obstructed route to determine a resource cost of the obstructed route; and   responsive to determining that the resource cost of the obstructed route is less than the resource cost of the generated route, navigating the EMV along the obstructed route from the start point to the end point.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the generated route is an unobstructed route, the method further comprising:
 responsive to determining that the resource cost of the generated route is not the lowest considered resource cost for navigating between the start point and the end point, generating a set of obstructed routes between the start point and the end point, each obstructed route of the set comprising unique instructions for navigating the EMV through obstacles between the start point and the end point and instructions for removing the obstacles between the start point and the end point;   performing, for each obstructed route of the set of obstructed routes, the operation that applies the cost function to the obstructed route to determine a resource cost of the obstructed route;   selecting, from the set of obstructed routes, a candidate obstructed route, wherein the candidate obstructed route has a lowest considered resource cost of the set of obstructed routes; and   responsive to determining the resource cost of the candidate obstructed route to be lower than the resource cost of the generated route, navigating the EMV along the selected candidate obstructed route from the start point to the end point.   
     
     
         11 . An earth moving vehicle (EMV) comprising:
 a computer communicatively coupled to a controller of the EMV; and   a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for determining a route between a start point in a site and an end point in the site encoded thereon that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:
 identify, by the EMV, an end point in a site, wherein the EMV is positioned at the start point in a site and the end point represents a location in the site where the EMV is to perform an EMV operation; 
 generate, by a computer communicatively coupled to the EMV, a route between the start point and the end point, the start point and the end point represented as coordinates in a coordinate space of the site; 
 perform, for the generated route, an operation that applies a cost function to determine a resource cost for the EMV to navigate from the start point to the end point, wherein the cost function considers a weighted combination of environmental conditions in the site that may affect navigation of the EMV from the start point to the end point; and 
 responsive to determining that the resource cost of the generated route is a lowest considered resource cost for navigating between the start point and the end point, navigate the EMV along the generated route between the start point and the end point. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the EMV operation is a set of instructions configured to cause the EMV to perform one or more of:
 move material from the location in the site to a second location in the site;   measure a volume of material at the location in the site;   excavate material from the location in the site;   grade material at the location in the site;   deposit material at the location in the site; and   compact material at the at the location of the site.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the end point is identified by a remote operator. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein an environmental condition of the weighted combination of environmental conditions considered by the cost function is a modifiable obstacle, and wherein generating the route between the start point and the end point comprises:
 generating instructions for removing the modifiable obstacle from the site by adjusting a position of a tool mounted to the EMV, the instructions for removing the modifiable obstacle generated based on structural properties of the obstacle; and   generating an obstructed route between the start point and the end point that includes the generated instructions for removing the modifiable obstacle.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein an environmental condition of the weighted combination of environmental conditions is one of:
 an obstacle obstructing navigation of the EMV from the start point to the end point;   a condition causing physical wear and tear on a surface of the EMV; and   a risk averse area of the site, wherein conditions in the risk averse area detrimentally affect functionality of the EMV.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the obstacle is a feature of the site capable of hindering the navigation of the EMV, the feature comprising one of:
 a structure within the site;   a material within the site;   a target tool path comprising instructions for an alternate EMV to navigate between the start point and the end point;   a digital feature of a representation of the site, the digital feature further comprising one of:
 a geofence within the site; 
 a route generated for a second EMV; and 
 a digital representation of the obstacle; 
   one or more individuals in the site; and   one or more pieces of equipment in the site.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the risk averse area of the site comprises one or more of:
 an area of wet material in the site;   a rocky area in the site;   a large body of water in the site; and   an area in the site where the EMV cannot safely navigate.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the computer to:
 responsive to determining that the resource cost of the generated route is not the lowest considered resource cost for navigating between the start point and the end point, access a set of candidate routes between the start point and the end point, each candidate route of the set of candidate routes comprising unique instructions for navigating the EMV from the start point to the end point;   identify, from the set of candidate routes, an alternate route from the set of candidate routes with the lowest considered resource cost for navigating between the start point and the end point; and   navigate the EMV along the alternate route from the start point to the end point.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the generated route is an unobstructed route, the instructions further causing the computer to:
 responsive to determining that the resource cost of the generated route is not the lowest considered resource cost for navigating between the start point and the end point, generate an obstructed route between the start point and the end point, the obstructed route comprising instructions for navigating the EMV through obstacles between the start point and the end point and instructions for removing the obstacles between the start point and the end point;   perform the operation that applies the cost function to the obstructed route to determine a resource cost of the obstructed route; and   responsive to determining that the resource cost of the obstructed route is less than the resource cost of the generated route, navigate the EMV along the obstructed route from the start point to the end point.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the generated route is an unobstructed route, the instructions further causing the computer to:
 responsive to determining that the resource cost of the generated route is not the lowest considered resource cost for navigating between the start point and the end point, generate a set of obstructed routes between the start point and the end point, each obstructed route of the set comprising unique instructions for navigating the EMV through obstacles between the start point and the end point and instructions for removing the obstacles between the start point and the end point;   perform, for each obstructed route of the set of obstructed routes, the operation that applies the cost function to the obstructed route to determine a resource cost of the obstructed route;   select, from the set of obstructed routes, a candidate obstructed route, wherein the candidate obstructed route has a lowest considered resource cost of the set of obstructed routes; and   responsive to determining the resource cost of the candidate obstructed route to be lower than the resource cost of the generated route, navigating the EMV along the selected candidate obstructed route from the start point to the end point.   
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for determining a route between a start point in a site and an end point in the site encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 identify, by an EMV positioned at the start point in the site, the end point in the site, wherein the end point represents a location in the site where the EMV is to perform an EMV operation;   generate, by a computer communicatively coupled to the EMV, a route between the start point and the end point, the start point and the end point represented as coordinates in a coordinate space of the site;   perform, for the generated route, an operation that applies a cost function to determine a resource cost for the EMV to navigate from the start point to the end point, wherein the cost function considers a weighted combination of environmental conditions in the site that may affect navigation of the EMV from the start point to the end point; and   responsive to determining that the resource cost of the generated route is a lowest considered resource cost for navigating between the start point and the end point, navigate the EMV along the generated route between the start point and the end point.