Systems and methods for obstacle analysis associated with a travel path of a machine

1 . A system for obstacle analysis associated with a machine that travels along a travel path, comprising:

one or more sensors operatively coupled to the machine, wherein the one or more sensors include a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor; and

a controller configured to, prior to the machine traversing through an expected travel area along the travel path

cause the one or more sensors to capture spatial data associated with a scan area that is within a field of view of the one or more sensors, wherein the scan area associated with the captured spatial data that is within the field of view of the one or more sensors is associated with the expected travel area of the machine along the travel path, and

wherein the captured spatial data includes:

spatial data points representing spatial positions associated with a surface of an object that is overhead of or that overhangs the travel path and within the expected travel area, and

spatial positions associated with a surface of the travel path that is below the object and located within the expected travel area;

determine an elevation of the surface of the travel path that is below the object and within the expected travel area based on the captured spatial data captured by the one or more sensors;

determine a maximum height of the machine relative to the determined elevation of the surface of the travel path below the object and within the expected travel area, the determining of the maximum height of the machine including determining a current actual maximum height of the machine;

identify spatial data points, of the spatial data points associated with the surface of the overhead or overhanging object and within the expected travel area, that indicate elevations of the overhead or overhanging object, relative to the determined elevation of the surface of the travel path below the object and within the expected travel area, that satisfy an elevation threshold related to the determined maximum height of the machine;

classify the object as a non-obstacle of the machine for the machine to traverse along the surface of the travel path under the object and within the expected travel area based on the indicated elevations indicated as satisfying the elevation threshold related to the determined maximum height of the machine; and

maintain the travel path of the machine based on the object being the non-obstacle of the machine, where the maintained travel path includes the machine traveling under the object within the expected travel area,

wherein the maintaining the travel path is performed after the object has been determined to be the non-obstacle and includes performing obstacle detection excluding the spatial data points corresponding to the object as the non-obstacle, and

wherein the spatial data points are identified for exclusion from the obstacle detection based on clustering and suspension.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

in order to identify the elevations that satisfy the elevation threshold related to the determined maximum height of the machine, cluster the spatial data that are indicated by the spatial positions associated with the surface of the object and relative to the elevation of the surface of the travel path under the object and within the expected travel area to satisfy the elevation threshold related to the determined maximum height of the machine and that are not connected to spatial data failing to satisfy the elevation threshold.

3 . The system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the elevation of the surface below the object and within the expected travel area is associated with a non-zero inclined grade,

wherein the surface below the object is at a first elevation, and

wherein a current surface of the machine is at a second elevation less than the first elevation of the surface such that the current surface of the machine is connected to the surface below the object via the non-zero inclined grade.

4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the determined maximum height of the machine is based on a weight associated with the machine.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the determined maximum height of the machine is estimated.

6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors further include an image sensor.

7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the current actual maximum height of the machine is determined with the machine inclined at an incline toward the surface that is below the object and within the expected travel area.

8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the current actual maximum height of the machine is determined based on a real-time determination of a weight of the machine.

9 . A method for obstacle analysis associated with a machine that travels along a travel path to reduce false-positive obstacle identification for overhead or overhanging objects along the travel path, comprising:

causing, by a processing circuitry, one or more sensors to capture spatial data associated with a scan area that is within a field of view of the one or more sensors, wherein the scan area associated with the captured spatial data that is within the field of view of the one or more sensors is associated with an expected travel area of the machine along the travel path, and

wherein the spatial data includes:

spatial data points representing spatial positions associated with a surface of an object that is overhead of or that overhangs the travel path and within the expected travel area, and

spatial positions associated with a surface of the travel path that is below the object and located within the expected travel area;

determining, by the processing circuitry, an elevation of the surface of the travel path that is below the object and within the expected travel area based on the captured spatial data captured by the one or more sensors;

determining, by the processing circuitry, a maximum height of the machine relative to the determined elevation of the surface of the travel path below the object and within the expected travel area, the determining of the maximum height of the machine including determining a current actual maximum height of the machine;

identifying, by the processing circuitry, spatial data points, of the spatial data points associated with the surface of the overhead or overhanging object and within the expected travel area, that indicate elevations of the overhead or overhanging object, relative to the determined elevation of the surface of the travel path below the object and within the expected travel area, which satisfy an elevation threshold related to the determined maximum height of the machine;

classifying, by the processing circuitry, the object as a non-obstacle of the machine for the machine to traverse along the surface of the travel path under the object and within the expected travel area based on the spatial data points indicating the elevations which satisfy the elevation threshold related to the determined maximum height of the machine; and

maintaining, by the processing circuitry, movement of the machine toward the expected travel area along the travel path of the machine based on the object being the non-obstacle of the machine,

wherein said maintaining of the movement of the machine toward the expected travel area along the surface of the travel path is performed after the object has been determined to be the non-obstacle and includes performing obstacle detection excluding the spatial data points corresponding to the object as the non-obstacle, and

wherein the spatial data points are excluded from the obstacle detection based on clustering and suspension.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein in order to identify the elevations satisfying the elevation threshold related to the determined maximum height of the machine, clustering the spatial data that are indicated by the spatial positions associated with the surface of the object and relative to the elevation of the surface of the travel path under the object and within the expected travel area to satisfy the elevation threshold related to the determined maximum height of the machine and that are not connected to spatial data that fails to satisfy the elevation threshold.

11 . The method of claim 9 ,

wherein the elevation of the surface below the object and within the expected travel area is associated with a non-zero inclined grade, and

wherein the machine is inclined toward the surface below the object at the non-zero inclined grade for said determining the maximum height of the machine.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the determined maximum height of the machine is based on a weight associated with the machine.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the determined maximum height of the machine is estimated.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors is at least one of:

a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor,

an image sensor, or

a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

causing one or more sensors to capture spatial data associated with a scan area that is within a field of view of the one or more sensors, wherein the scan area associated with the captured spatial data that is within the field of view of the one or more sensors is associated with an expected travel area of a machine that travels along a travel path, and

wherein the spatial data includes:

spatial data points representing spatial positions associated with a surface of an object that is overhead of or that overhangs the travel path and within the expected travel area, and

spatial positions associated with a surface of the travel path that is below the object and located within the expected travel area based on the captured spatial data captured by the one or more sensors;

determining an elevation of the surface of the travel path that is below the object and within the expected travel area based on the captured spatial data captured by the one or more sensors;

determining a maximum height of the machine relative to the determined elevation of the surface of the travel path below the object and within the expected travel area, said determining of the maximum height of the machine including determining a current actual maximum height of the machine;

identifying spatial data points, of the spatial data points associated with the surface of the overhead or overhanging object and within the expected travel area, that indicate elevations of the overhead or overhanging object, relative to the determined elevation of the surface of the travel path below the object and within the expected travel area, which satisfy an elevation threshold related to the determined maximum height of the machine;

classifying the object as a non-obstacle of the machine for the machine to traverse along the surface of the travel path under the object and within the expected travel area based on the spatial data points indicating the elevations which satisfy the elevation threshold; and

maintaining the travel path of the machine based on the object being the non-obstacle,

wherein said maintaining the travel path is performed after the object has been determined to be the non-obstacle and includes performing obstacle detection excluding the spatial data points corresponding to the object as the non-obstacle, and

wherein the spatial data points are identified for exclusion from the obstacle detection based on clustering and suspension.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein in order to identify the elevations, satisfying the elevation threshold related to the determined maximum height of the machine, clustering indicated by the spatial positions associated with the surface of the object and relative to the elevation of the surface of the travel path, that are above the elevation threshold related to the maximum height of the machine.

17 . The non-transitory/computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 ,

wherein the elevation of the surface below the object and within the expected travel area is associated with a non-zero inclined grade, and

wherein the machine is inclined toward the surface below the object at the non-zero inclined grade for said determining the maximum height of the machine.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the determined maximum height of the machine is based on a weight associated with the machine.

19 . The non-transitory/computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the determined maximum height of the machine is estimated.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the one or more sensors includes:

a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor and an image sensor.