Autonomous grounds maintenance machines with path planning for trap and obstacle avoidance
Operating an autonomous grounds maintenance machine includes determining a travel path for the machine to reach a destination waypoint in a zone of a work region. The travel path is analyzed for problem areas based on a predetermined terrain map. Rotations of the machine may be planned even before the machine begins to travel down the path to proactively prevent the machine from becoming trapped.
1. A method of operation for an autonomous machine, comprising:
determining that the autonomous machine has gotten stuck in a location of a work region by an obstacle that is not detected by an obstacle-detection sensor of the autonomous machine during a teaching or training mode;
automatically create and store data that defines, at the location: an exclusion zone, the obstacle, or a grade that is too steep to traverse;
when determining a subsequent planned path after the data is stored, determining a travel path for the autonomous machine to reach a destination waypoint in the work region; and
commanding the autonomous machine to avoid the location or a condition leading to becoming stuck again on the subsequent planned path.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating a terrain map to reflect a presence of the exclusion zone, the obstacle, or the grade.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining the terrain map based on a previous traversal of the work region by the autonomous machine.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein commanding the machine to avoid the location or the condition occurs whether or not the obstacle-detection sensor detects the location or conditions during work.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the condition comprises one or more of a pitch, roll, and heading.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the condition comprises the heading.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data defines the exclusion zone, and wherein the exclusion zone is defined without permission of a user.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obstacle is raised off of a ground.
9. An autonomous grounds maintenance machine comprising a controller operably coupled to a propulsion system, wherein the controller is operable to perform the method of claim 1 .
10. The autonomous grounds maintenance machine of claim 9 , further comprising a blade coupled to a cutting mower, wherein the method of claim 1 is performed while mowing with the blade.
11. A method of operation for an autonomous machine, comprising:
determining a travel path for the machine to reach a destination waypoint in a work region;
determining that the travel path will traverse a downhill grade based on a predetermined terrain map, the predetermined terrain map indicating a susceptibility to becoming stuck after stopping at a downhill boundary and attempting to move away from the downhill boundary;
determining planned rotations of the machine along the travel path, the planned rotations orienting the machine to provide sufficient traction to move uphill away from the downhill boundary; and
commanding the machine to propel along the travel path based on the planned rotations.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining the predetermined terrain map based on a previous traversal of the work region.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined terrain map comprises a plurality of grades for a plurality of coordinates within the work region.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining the plurality of grades along the travel path in the predetermined terrain map based on a previous traversal of the work region.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sufficient traction comprises a maximum traction.
16. An autonomous grounds maintenance machine comprising a controller operably coupled to a propulsion system, wherein the controller is operable to perform the method of claim 11 .
17. The autonomous grounds maintenance machine of claim 11 , further comprising a blade coupled to a cutting mower, wherein the method of claim 1 is performed while mowing with the blade.