A work system includes an operation device that transmits an operation signal, a work machine that operates on the basis of the operation signal, and a transport vehicle that outputs a traveling control signal in a case where a fault in communication between the operation device and the work machine occurs.

Disclosed herein is a system for controlling a mining machine within an underground mine. A rotatable laser source sends laser light and return light sensor receives reflected laser light and provides an indication of distance and return light intensity at multiple different rotation angles. A co-ordinate reference point comprises a pattern of varying reflectivity and provides at least a 2D co-ordinate position. A processor determines an absolute co-ordinate position in space of the mining machine as the mining machine moves through the underground mine. The processor collects intensity values of reflected laser light for multiple respective rotation angles and detects the pattern of the reference point in the multiple intensity values of reflected laser light, and determines the absolute co-ordinate position in space of the mining machine based on spatial information of the detected pattern.

According to an example aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method, including the steps of receiving a tunnel model of an underground tunnel system of a worksite, receiving a route point entry indicative of a route point position for a mine vehicle in the tunnel system, defining, for controlling obstacle detection for the mine vehicle, at least one lateral safety margin parameter on the basis of vehicle dimension data and processing the tunnel model in respect to the route point position, and associating the at least one lateral safety margin parameter with the route point position.

Systems and methods of operating vehicles to reduce bunching of the vehicles when traveling on a roadway determine an intra arrival time for two consecutive vehicles traveling on the roadway; calculate a virtual spacing between the two consecutive vehicles based on the intra arrival time; determine a following distance threshold; compare the virtual spacing between the two consecutive vehicles with the following distance threshold; determine that the two consecutive vehicles are in a bunched condition when the virtual spacing between the two consecutive vehicles is less than the following distance threshold; and control at least one of the two consecutive vehicles until the vehicles are no longer in the bunched condition.

A management system for a transport vehicle includes a storage unit that stores a traveling path outline indicating an outline of a traveling path at a work site and an intersection outline indicating an outline of an intersection at the work site, a designation unit that designates a start point of traveling of the transport vehicle at the work site and an end point of traveling of the transport vehicle, and a connection unit that generates a traveling area outline by connecting the traveling path outline and the intersection outline on the basis of the start point and the end point designated by the designation unit.

A method is provide, which includes the steps of receiving a three-dimensional tunnel model of an underground tunnel system of a worksite, receiving two-dimensional position data having sets of x coordinate values and y coordinate values of a mobile device in the underground tunnel system, performing a vertical plane ray cast operation in the tunnel model at a mobile device position defined by an x coordinate value and an y coordinate value in the received position data, and determining a z coordinate value for the mobile device position on the basis of the ray cast operation and at least one earlier resolved z coordinate value for a preceding mobile device position.

The present disclosure relates techniques for autonomously controlling heavy equipment and vehicles using task hierarchies. Particularly, aspects of the present disclosure are directed to obtaining a task to be performed by an autonomous vehicle, determining subtasks to be performed to perform the task, obtaining sensor data providing a representation of operation of the autonomous vehicle in a worksite environment and situational context of the worksite environment, determining a task context for a subtask based on the sensor data, identifying a predictive model from a library of predictive models based on the task context, estimating, by the predictive model, a set of output data based on sensor data, and controlling operations of the autonomous vehicle in the worksite environment to perform the subtask using a set of input data derived from the sensor data and the set of output data.

A method for zone passage control in an underground worksite having a plurality of operation zones for autonomously operating mobile vehicle operations includes the steps of receiving position information of at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle in a fusion zone merged of at least a first zone and a second zone associated with a first passage control unit, and in response to detecting a mobile object by a second passage control unit associated with the first zone, performing: checking position of the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle, in response to an autonomously operating mobile vehicle being positioned in the second zone, preventing a control command to stop the autonomously operating mobile vehicle in the second zone, and demerging the first zone and the second zone.

A mining machine is disclosed. The mining machine may include a mobile ranging device, a movement sensor device, and a control unit. The mobile ranging device may be configured to communicate with a location sensor device and cause the location sensor device to transmit location data relating to a location of the mining machine. The movement sensor device may be configured to transmit movement data relating to a movement of the mining machine. The control unit may be configured to receive coordinate data relating to a plurality of zones and a plurality of drawpoints of a tunnel, the location data, and the movement data. The control unit may identify an active zone, determine a machine heading, determine a machine articulation, identify an active drawpoint based on the active zone, the machine heading, or the machine articulation, and cause an action to be performed in connection with the active drawpoint.

Provided is an autonomous travel system capable of effectively suppressing generation of ruts. It is a further object to provide an autonomous travel system including unmanned vehicles that travel on a transportation path constituted of opposite lanes, which is capable of suppressing generation of ruts while preventing proximity to an on-corning vehicle. An in-vehicle control device 200 includes: an offset amount determination unit 202 adapted to, based on common offset information received via a wireless communication device 240, determine an offset amount of a travel path 60 based on map information 251 and generate a target track 62; and an autonomous travel control unit 201 adapted to output a travel instruction to control traveling of a body so as to track the target track 62 to which the offset amount has been added based on the target track 62 and an own-vehicle position.