System and method for autonomous navigation of a tracked or skid-steer vehicle

US8612084B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The University of Sydney · AU

Inventors

• Ross Hennessy · Gosford, AU
• Florian Oppolzer · Brisbane, AU
• Xiuyi Fan · Fawn Drive, AU
• Surya P. N. Singh · Sydney, AU
• Hugh Durrant-Whyte · Sydney, AU

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 15, 2010
• Grant date: Dec 17, 2013
• Expiry date: Sep 15, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05D1/0272
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An autonomous navigation system for a tracked or skid-steer vehicle is described. The system includes a path planner (54) that computes a series of waypoint locations specifying a path to follow and vehicle location sensors (82). A tramming controller (60) includes a waypoint controller (62) that computes vehicle speed and yaw rate setpoints based on vehicle location information from the vehicle location sensor and the locations of a plurality of neighboring waypoints, and a rate controller (64) that generates left and right track speed setpoints from the speed and yaw rate setpoints. A vehicle control interface actuates the vehicle controls in accordance with the left and right track speed setpoints.