Tracking modified ground coverage at a site
Described herein are systems, methods, and other techniques for generating a ground coverage map that indicates portions of a site that have been modified by a vehicle operating within the site. First and second modifier data regarding an operation of a site modifier device of the vehicle at first and second times are captured using a site modifier sensor attached to the vehicle. First and second coverage regions are predicted based on the first and second modifier data, the first and second coverage regions corresponding to regions within the site that are modified by the site modifier device at the first and second times. First and second coverage images are computed based on the first and second coverage regions. The first and second coverage images are accumulated to generate the ground coverage map.
1 . A method of generating a ground coverage map that indicates portions of a site modified by a vehicle operating within the site, the method comprising:
capturing, using a sensor attached to the vehicle, first and second modifier data indicating sizes and shapes of coverage regions for a site modifier device at first and second times, the sensor being configured to monitor operation of the site modifier device of the vehicle;
predicting, at a central processing unit (CPU), first and second coverage regions based on the first and second modifier data, respectively, the first and second coverage regions corresponding to regions within the site that are modified by the site modifier device at the first and second times, respectively;
computing, at a graphics processing unit (GPU) using one or more graphics shaders, first and second coverage images based on the first and second coverage regions, respectively;
accumulating, at the GPU using the one or more graphics shaders, the first and second coverage images to generate and iteratively update the ground coverage map within a local memory of the GPU, wherein the ground coverage map is updated with subsequent coverage images without transferring the ground coverage map to the CPU; and
generating, at the CPU and based on the ground coverage map, a steering signal to guide the vehicle over portions of the site indicated by the ground coverage map as having been insufficiently modified.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the site modifier device is attached to an implement of the vehicle.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the site modifier device is one of: a sprayer, a planter, a harvesting tool, or a soil compactor.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein predicting the first and second coverage regions includes:
predicting two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) coordinates defining positions of the first and second coverage regions based on the first and second modifier data, respectively.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein predicting the first and second coverage regions includes:
predicting one or more magnitude values defining an extent to which the site modifier device modified the site within the first and second coverage regions based on the first and second modifier data, respectively.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second coverage images are top-down images.
7 . A system for generating a ground coverage map that indicates portions of a site modified by a vehicle operating within the site, the system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
capturing, using a sensor attached to the vehicle, first and second modifier data indicating sizes and shapes of coverage regions for a site modifier device at first and second times, the sensor being configured to monitor operation of the site modifier device of the vehicle;
predicting, at a central processing unit (CPU), first and second coverage regions based on the first and second modifier data, respectively, the first and second coverage regions corresponding to regions within the site that are modified by the site modifier device at the first and second times, respectively;
computing, at a graphics processing unit (GPU) using one or more graphics shaders, first and second coverage images based on the first and second coverage regions, respectively;
accumulating, at the GPU using the one or more graphics shaders, the first and second coverage images to generate and iteratively update the ground coverage map within a local memory of the GPU, wherein the ground coverage map is updated with subsequent coverage images without transferring the ground coverage map to the CPU; and
generating, at the CPU and based on the ground coverage map, a steering signal to guide the vehicle over portions of the site indicated by the ground coverage map as having been insufficiently modified.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the site modifier device is attached to an implement of the vehicle.
9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the site modifier device is one of: a sprayer, a planter, a harvesting tool, or a soil compactor.
10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein predicting the first and second coverage regions includes:
predicting two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) coordinates defining positions of the first and second coverage regions based on the first and second modifier data, respectively.
11 . The system of claim 7 , wherein predicting the first and second coverage regions includes:
predicting one or more magnitude values defining an extent to which the site modifier device modified the site within the first and second coverage regions based on the first and second modifier data, respectively.
12 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the first and second coverage images are top-down images.
13 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations for generating a ground coverage map that indicates portions of a site modified by a vehicle operating within the site, the operations comprising:
receiving first and second modifier data indicating sizes and shapes of coverage regions for a site modifier device at first and second times, the first and second modifier data having been captured using a sensor attached to the vehicle, the sensor being configured to monitor operation of the site modifier device of the vehicle;
predicting, at a central processing unit (CPU), first and second coverage regions based on the first and second modifier data, respectively, the first and second coverage regions corresponding to regions within the site that are modified by the site modifier device at the first and second times, respectively;
computing, at a graphics processing unit (GPU) using one or more graphics shaders, first and second coverage images based on the first and second coverage regions, respectively;
accumulating, at the GPU using the one or more graphics shaders, the first and second coverage images to generate and iteratively update the ground coverage map within a local memory of the GPU, wherein the ground coverage map is updated with subsequent coverage images without transferring the ground coverage map to the CPU; and
generating, at the CPU and based on the ground coverage map, a steering signal to guide the vehicle over portions of the site indicated by the ground coverage map as having been insufficiently modified.
14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the site modifier device is one of: a sprayer, a planter, a harvesting tool, or a soil compactor.
15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein predicting the first and second coverage regions includes:
predicting two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) coordinates defining positions of the first and second coverage regions based on the first and second modifier data, respectively.
16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein predicting the first and second coverage regions includes:
predicting one or more magnitude values defining an extent to which the site modifier device modified the site within the first and second coverage regions based on the first and second modifier data, respectively.
17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first and second coverage images are top-down images.