Guidance system to navigate intervening obstacles and methods for same

1 . A navigation system for an agricultural machine, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to obtain a travel path from an agricultural machine position to a target position in a field, the one or more processors configured to:

determine a first target line, the first target line extending from the agricultural machine position to the target position;

detect a first obstacle disposed in the first target line between the agricultural machine position and the target position, the first obstacle having a first obstacle boundary that intersects the first target line at first and second intersections, the first intersection closer than the second intersection to the agricultural machine position;

obtain a mitigation path around the first obstacle based on the first target line and the boundary of the first obstacle, wherein the mitigation path includes at least one mitigation segment having a starting position and an ending position, and wherein to obtain the mitigation path the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine the starting position of the mitigation path based on a second target line, the second target line extending from the agricultural machine position to the first obstacle boundary;

determine the ending position of the mitigation path based on a third target line, the third target line extending from the first obstacle boundary to the target position, wherein the mitigation path is obtained based on a length of the at least one mitigation segment;

obtain an indexed path of a previous machine passage through the field, the indexed path comprising one or more segments aligned with crop rows to minimize crossing of crop rows;

determine a load of the agricultural machine; and

edit the mitigation path to include the one or more segments of the indexed path according to the determined load of the agricultural machine when the load meets or exceeds a load threshold;

combine the mitigation path with the travel path to obtain a combined path; and

control the agricultural machine using the combined path to guide the agricultural machine to the target position in the field.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the target position comprises a position of a second agricultural machine and the one or more processors are configured to automatically update the travel path by determining a new mitigation path responsive to a change in the position of the second agricultural machine.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to obtain, from a memory, map data that is indicative of the first obstacle boundary.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the map data is indicative of a region enclosing the first obstacle.

5 . The system of claim 4 , where in the first obstacle boundary has a shape of first obstacle.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:

a LIDAR device;

a radar device;

a camera;

a laser device; or

a positioning device.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first target line includes a scan line that traverses the first obstacle.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one mitigation segment extends along a contour of the boundary of the first obstacle.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further

configured to: obtain a set of entry scan lines, wherein an entry scan line extends from the agricultural machine position to a position on first obstacle boundary;

select an entry scan line from the set of entry scan lines based on:

an intersection of the selected entry scan line with the first obstacle; or

a length of the selected entry scan line relative to other entry scan lines; and

determine the starting position of the mitigation path based on the intersection of the selected entry scan line and the first obstacle boundary.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further

configured to: obtain a sequential set of entry scan lines by sequentially scanning the field along the first obstacle boundary in a first direction to generate scan lines that extend from the agricultural machine position to one or more positions along the first obstacle boundary; and

the selected entry scan line is a last scan line in the sequential set of entry scan lines that intersects the first obstacle boundary.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the starting position of the mitigation path is a position at the intersection of the selected entry scan line and the first obstacle boundary.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

obtain a set of exit scan lines, wherein an exit scan line extends from a position on the first obstacle to the target position;

select an exit scan line from the set of exit scan lines based on at least one of:

an intersection of the exit scan line with the first obstacle; or

a length of the exit scan line relative to other entry scan lines; and

determine the ending position of the mitigation path based on the selected exit scan line.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further

configured to: obtain sequential set of exit scan lines by sequentially scanning the field in a first direction from one or more positions along the first obstacle boundary to generate scan lines that extend from the one or more position along the first obstacle boundary to the target position, and

the selected exit scan line is a first scan line in the sequential set of exit scan lines that does not intersect the first obstacle boundary at any point between end points of the exit scan line.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the ending position of the mitigation path is a position at the intersection of the selected entry scan line and the first obstacle boundary.

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

obtain a transition path including a curved path that connects the agricultural machine position to the starting position of the mitigation path, wherein the curved path is determined based on at least one of a turning capability of the agricultural machine or a predetermined user experience parameter, and configured to combine the transition path with the mitigation path.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

obtain an intercept path, the intercept path including:

a fourth target line, the fourth target line extending from the ending position of the mitigation path to an intercept point proximate the target point; and

a curved path from the intercept point to the target point, and configured to combine the intercept path with the mitigation path and the travel path.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust a curvature of path segments in the travel path based on at least one of a curvature rate or a maximum curvature of the agricultural machine.

18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

obtain a second travel path for the agricultural machine to a target position in the field, including:

project the agricultural machine position to a projected position on the travel path; and

obtain the second travel path by using the projected agricultural machine position as the agricultural machine position.

19 . A method for a navigation method for an agricultural machine, the method comprising:

obtaining a travel path from an agricultural machine position to a target position in a field by:

determining a first target line, the first target line extending from the agricultural machine position to the target position;

detecting a first obstacle disposed in the first target line between the agricultural machine position and the target position, the first obstacle having a first obstacle boundary that intersects the first target line at first and second intersections, the first intersection closer than the second intersection to the agricultural machine position;

obtaining a mitigation path around the first obstacle based on the first target line and the boundary of the first obstacle by:

determining a starting position of the mitigation path based on a second target line, the second target line extending from the agricultural machine position to the first obstacle boundary;

determining an ending position of the mitigation path based on a third target line, the third target line extending from the first obstacle boundary to the target position, wherein the mitigation path is obtained based on a length of at least one mitigation path segment;

obtaining an indexed path of a previous machine passage through the field, the indexed path comprising one or more segments aligned with crop rows to minimize crossing of crop rows;

determining a load of the agricultural machine; and

editing the mitigation path to include the one or more segments of the indexed path according to the determined load of the agricultural machine when the load meets or exceeds a load threshold;

combining the mitigation path with the travel path to obtain a combined path, and

controlling the agricultural machine using the combined path to guide the agricultural machine to the target position in the field.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the target position comprises a position of a second agricultural machine, and the method further includes automatically updating the travel path by determining a new mitigation path responsive to a change in the position of the second agricultural machine.

21 . The method of claim 19 , further including obtaining map data that is indicative of the first obstacle boundary.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the map data is indicative of a region enclosing the first obstacle.

23 . The method of claim 22 , where in the first obstacle boundary has a shape of first obstacle.

24 . The method of claim 19 , further including determining the first target line, the second target line, or detecting the first obstacle using at least one of:

a LIDAR device;

a radar device;

a camera;

a laser device; or

a positioning device.

25 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the first target line includes a scan line that traverses the first obstacle.

26 . The method of claim 19 , wherein at least one mitigation segment of the mitigation path extends along a contour of the boundary of the first obstacle.

27 . The method of claim 19 , further including:

obtaining a set of entry scan lines, wherein an entry scan line extends from the agricultural machine position to a position on first obstacle boundary;

selecting an entry scan line from the set of entry scan lines based on:

an intersection of the selected entry scan line with the first obstacle; or

a length of the selected entry scan line relative to other entry scan lines; and

determining the starting position of the mitigation path based on the intersection of the selected entry scan line and the first obstacle boundary.

28 . The method of claim 27 , further including:

obtaining a sequential set of entry scan lines by sequentially scanning the field along the first obstacle boundary in a first direction to generate scan lines that extend from the agricultural machine position to one or more positions along the first obstacle boundary, wherein the selected entry scan line is a last scan line in the sequential set of entry scan lines that intersects the first obstacle boundary.

29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the starting position of the mitigation path is a position at the intersection of the selected entry scan line and the first obstacle boundary.

30 . The method of claim 19 , further including:

obtaining a set of exit scan lines, wherein an exit scan line extends from a position on the first obstacle to the target position;

selecting an exit scan line from the set of exit scan lines based on at least one of:

an intersection of the exit scan line with the first obstacle; or

a length of the exit scan line relative to other entry scan lines; and

determining the ending position of the mitigation path based on the selected exit scan line.

31 . The method of claim 30 , further including:

obtaining sequential set of exit scan lines by sequentially scanning the field in a first direction from one or more positions along the first obstacle boundary to generate scan lines that extend from the one or more position along the first obstacle boundary to the target position, and

selecting, as the selected exit scan line, a first scan line in the sequential set of exit scan lines that does not intersect the first obstacle boundary at any point between end points of the exit scan line.

32 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the ending position of the mitigation path is a position at the intersection of the selected entry scan line and the first obstacle boundary.

33 . The method of claim 19 , further including:

obtaining a transition path including a curved path that connects the agricultural machine position to the starting position of the mitigation path, wherein the curved path is determined based on at least one of a turning capability of the agricultural machine or a predetermined user experience parameter; and

combining the transition path with the mitigation path.

34 . The method of claim 19 , further including:

obtaining an intercept path, the intercept path including:

a fourth target line, the fourth target line extending from the ending position of the mitigation path to an intercept point proximate the target point; and

a curved path from the intercept point to the target point; and

combining the intercept path with the mitigation path and the travel path.

35 . The method of claim 19 , further including adjusting a curvature of path segments in the travel path based on at least one of a curvature rate or a maximum curvature of the agricultural machine.

36 . The method of claim 19 , further including:

obtaining a second travel path for the agricultural machine to a target position in the field by:

projecting the agricultural machine position to a projected position on the travel path; and

obtaining the second travel path by using the projected agricultural machine position as the agricultural machine position.