A work machine, such as a wheel loader, operating in a worksite within a wireless control system includes an operator-specific configuration of machine settings associated with an identification for the operator. As the work machine executes a work function, the operator identification, an initial operator-specific configuration, and sensed performance metrics are transmitted to a control system for the worksite. Linking the operator identification to one or both of the initial operator-specific configuration and the metrics, the control system analyzes performance of the work machine by the operator with increased granularity and flags potential irregularities. A modified operator-specific configuration to change operator performance is returned to the work machine and made to override the initial operator-specific configuration when the operator next takes control of the work machine.

A system, method, and apparatus can access, via a user interface, route properties of a mine site used for controlling one or more work machines as the work machine(s) travel through the mine site. Access regarding the route properties can include viewing one or more of the properties and/or setting requirements (e.g., restrictions or limitations) for one or more of the properties. A candidate route can be selected, validated, and set as a selected route using the user interface to access route properties associated with the selected route. Requirements can be set for one or more of the route properties using the user interface. The work machines can be controlled to traverse the mine site according to the requirements set for the route properties.

A controller that controls a dump truck in such a manner that the dump truck travels on a travelling route and stops at a loading specified position is provided in the dump truck. The controller computes, from travelling route data, a front-rear direction (a first stop direction) of the dump truck in a case in which the dump truck has travelled on the travelling route and stopped at the loading specified position, and corrects the travelling route to compute a post-correction travelling route including the loading specified position as an end point in such a manner that an excavator is located on an extension line of the front-rear direction (a second stop direction) of the dump truck in a case in which the dump truck has travelled on the post-correction travelling route and stopped at the loading specified position, on the basis of the computed first stop direction, position data of the loading specified position, and swing center position data of the excavator.

A management unit for managing material dumping in a dump area using a plurality of autonomous dump machines. Each autonomous dump machine comprises a sensor arrangement adapted to determine at least one sensor arrangement parameter indicative of the environment adjacent to at least a portion of the autonomous dump machine. The management unit is adapted to establish a set of dump paths, comprising at least one dump path, wherein each dump path extends in the dump area, and issue an instruction to an autonomous dump machine of the plurality of autonomous dump machines to follow a dump path of the set of dump paths until the sensor arrangement parameter, determined by the sensor arrangement of the autonomous dump machine, indicates that the autonomous dump machine has reached a dumping position indicative of a dumping density of the dump area being within a predetermined dumping density range.

Provided is a conveying vehicle that ensures efficiently travelling while suppressing vehicle slip. A dump truck 100 includes a vehicle body 101 provided with wheels 103 and a vehicle control device 300 and travels on a travel route. The vehicle control device 300 calculates and stores slip limit values at a plurality of positions on the travel route, reads out the slip limit values to calculate at least one of a maximum acceleration and a maximum deceleration of the dump truck 100 at which the wheels 103 is capable of maintaining a grip state against a road surface, and sets a target travel speed at a travel position between the dump truck 100 and a target position according to a target speed at the target position and at least one of the maximum acceleration and the maximum deceleration.

The invention simplifies the process of utilizing mmmg or construction trucks to automatically carry ore, dirt, or other matter from one location to another. Transportation of the dirt, ore, or matter is usually performed using trucks with loaders or excavators. The trucks then take the loads and deposit them in piles, which are then used for the next step of the mining or construction process. The invention uses a teach-and-follow process to establish the trajectories that these paths must follow. The present invention describes a system to record and execute trajectories for autonomous mining and construction trucks. This system comprises one or more sensors that can detect road features, a drive-by-wire kit installed onto the truck(s), a user interface that allows the operator to learn trajectories and “replay trajectories”, and a planning algorithm that creates trajectories which take the vehicle from a starting location to an ending location (final destination), while maintaining the vehicle inside of the allowed driving envelope. The invention allows the user to drive the truck along the desired route and have the truck automatically learn the route using features in the environment to localize. In future runs, the truck is able to automatically follow the learned route.

Disclosed herein are a control method and system. The system includes: a deactivation control; a control centre controller for storing an association between the deactivation control and a selected set of mine sites; a plurality of autonomous drill rigs, each drill rig having a drill shutdown module to disable a function of the respective drill rig upon receipt of a deactivation command; and a mine site controller associated with each mine site, each mine site controller being coupled to all autonomous drill rigs located at the respective mine site with which the mine site controller is associated. Activating the deactivation control transmits a deactivation command from the deactivation control to the control centre controller. The control centre controller forwards the deactivation command to a mine site controller associated with each mine site in the set of mine sites for distribution to all autonomous drill rigs at that mine site.

A vehicle control system that makes it possible to ensure the safety and enhance the productivity at the same time is provided. An unmanned dump 10 receives positional information about a manned vehicle 20 by using infrastructure-to-vehicle communication 520 and infrastructure-to-infrastructure communication 510. In a case where an inter-vehicle distance X between the unmanned dump 10 and the manned vehicle 20 is equal to or shorter than a reference distance Y, the unmanned dump 10 decides whether or not vehicle-to-vehicle communication 550 is established between the unmanned dump 10 and the manned vehicle 20. In a case where it is decided that the vehicle-to-vehicle communication 550 is established, the upper limit of the travel speed of the unmanned dump 10 is set to a first speed V1, and in a case where it is decided that the vehicle-to-vehicle communication 550 is not established, the upper limit of the travel speed of the unmanned dump 10 is set to a second speed V2.

A computer-implemented method optimizes a reference trajectory for an automated vehicle operating in a confined area, for example, a mine or construction site or the like. The reference trajectory comprises a sequence of reference data points. The method determines a projection of the sequence of reference data points for fitting the sequence of reference data points onto a candidate reference trajectory. The projection smooths the fit of the sequence of reference data to a set of data points forming the candidate reference trajectory subject to one or more constraints. The method quantifies a performance of at least one vehicle task to be performed by the vehicle along the reference trajectory in a simulation of the candidate trajectory and optimizes the quantified performance to obtain an optimal reference trajectory for the vehicle in the confined area.

Disclosed herein are an anti-stall control method and system for a tracked vehicle. The system includes a control module that includes a processor and a storage medium for storing computer programming code. The computer programming code defines a set of behaviour states including: a start state, a tramming state, and at least one corrective state. Each behaviour state has an associated set of behaviour controls for governing control of tracks of the vehicle. The computer programming code, executed on the processor, performs the method steps of: assigning an initial start state, wherein the tracks of the tracked vehicle are stationary; changing to the tramming state, on receipt of instructions to move the tracked vehicle, wherein tramming behaviour controls control the tracks of the tracked vehicle to operate in the same direction; and changing to a corrective states when corrective state conditions associated with that corrective state are satisfied.