Abstract: An obstruction avoidance system may include a agronomy vehicle, at least one sensor configured to output signals serving as a basis for a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud and to output signals corresponding to a two-dimensional (2D) image, and instructions to direct a processor to capture a particular 2D image and to obtain signals serving as a basis for a particular 3D point cloud; identify an obstruction candidate in the particular 2d image; correlate the obstruction candidate to a portion of the particular 3D point cloud to determine a value for a parameter of the obstruction candidate; classify the obstruction candidate as an obstruction based upon the parameter; and output control signals to alter a state of the agronomy vehicle in response to the obstruction candidate being classified as an obstruction.

Abstract: A vehicle zone control system may include a tractor having a propulsion unit and a steering unit, at least sensor carried by the tractor and stored data defining a plurality of zones proximate the vehicle. The system determines in which of the plurality of zones a remote operator on ground proximate the tractor currently resides based upon signals from the at least one sensor. The system differently controls at least one of the propulsion unit and the steering unit based upon in which zone the remote operator currently resides.

Abstract: A vehicle may include rear ground traction members, front ground traction members, a rear drive system to drive the rear ground traction members, a continuously variable speed front drive system to drive the front ground traction members and a controller. The variable speed front drive system may include a hydraulic pump, a hydraulic motor driven by the hydraulic pump and operably coupled to the front ground traction members by a planetary gear assembly. The planetary gear assembly may include a sun gear coupled to and driven by the hydraulic motor, a ring gear operably coupled to the rear ground traction members and a planet carrier carrying planet gears intermeshing between the ring gear and the sun gear. The planet carrier has an output shaft operably coupled to the front ground traction members. At least one sun brake is actuatable by the controller to retard rotation of the sun gear.

Abstract: In response to power hopping, a controller modulates the power and/or speed supplied by at least one of a rear drive axle and a front drive axle of the tractor so as to mitigate the power hopping.

Abstract: A vehicle control system may include a vehicle having a propulsion unit and a steering unit, a forward-facing camera carried by the vehicle, a processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising operator position identification instructions. The operator position identification instructions direct the processor to identify relative positioning of a remote operator on the ground proximate the vehicle based upon signals from the forward-facing camera; and control the propulsion unit and the steering unit of the vehicle to follow the operator based upon the relative on the ground proximate the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle is operable in a first mode in which vehicle actions are controlled in response to inputs received by an input device carried by the vehicle from an operator while being boarded on the vehicle and in a second mode in which vehicle actions are controlled in response to inputs received from the operator while the operator is proximate the vehicle, but no longer boarded on the vehicle. The vehicle carries a sensor configured to output a sensed input, as sensed by the sensor, from the operator proximate the vehicle, but not boarded on the vehicle. The sensed input is recognized and associated with a vehicle action and control signals are output to the vehicle based on the sensed input to cause the vehicle to carry out the vehicle action.

Abstract: A plant locating system may include a vehicle supporting a Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna and a monocular camera. The system may further include a plant locating unit comprising a processing unit and a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions to direct the processing unit to: acquire a sample image of a plant of interest captured at a time with the monocular camera at an unknown distance from the plant of interest (POI); determine a geographic location estimate of the GPS antenna at the time; identify a selected portion of the sample image comprising the POI; determine a distance between the POI and the monocular camera based upon the selected portion; and determine a geographic location estimate of the POI based on the geographic location estimate of the GPS antenna at the time and the determined distance between the monocular camera and the POI.

Abstract: An example calibration system includes a speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, a calibration unit, and a controller. In some implementations, the calibration unit generates a first plot of a first series of first yaw rate estimates over time based upon signals from the speed sensor and the steering angle sensor, generates a second plot of a second series of second yaw rate estimates over the time based upon signals from at least one inertial measurement unit and compares the first plot and the second plot to determine a steering offset bias that minimizes differences between the first plot and the second plot. The controller outputs control signals to adjust at least one of a steering and propulsion of the tractor based on the steering offset bias. In some implementations, the controller determines an updated tire radius for a tractor tire based upon different estimated tractor speeds.

Abstract: A vehicle may include a movable roof, a sensor supported by the roof, and an actuator for selectively raising and lowering the roof.

Abstract: A battery powered vehicle may include a chassis and a swappable battery releasably connected to the chassis. The chassis supports left and right ground engaging propulsion members having ground contacting surfaces having widths. The swappable battery includes a set of individual charge storing battery submodules. The individual charge storing battery submodules overlie the widths of the ground contacting surfaces of the left and right ground engaging propulsion members.

Abstract: A vehicle may operate in a first mode in which rear traction members of the vehicle are driven forwardly by an electric motor and a hydraulic pump is powered and may alternatively operate in a second mode in which the rear traction members are driven forwardly by the electric motor while the electric motor is operably decoupled from the hydraulic pump. A controller determines a state of an implement attached to the vehicle, a present or forthcoming turning state of the vehicle, a geo-referenced location of the vehicle, a slip of the vehicle, and/or a camera captured image of terrain. The controller outputs a recommendation for either the first mode or the second mode based upon the determination or automatically switches between the first mode and the second mode based on the determination.

Abstract: A vehicle row follow system may include a vehicle comprising at least one sensor to output signals serving as a basis for a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud and to output signals corresponding to a two-dimensional (2D) image of a region forward the vehicle. The system may further include a non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions to direct a processor to: determine plan row lines in a 2D image; determine a yaw of the vehicle based upon a slope of a heading line relative to a centerline between the plant row lines in the 2D image; determine a lateral offset of the vehicle from the centerline between the consecutive plant rows based upon an identity of the consecutive plant rows in the 3D point cloud; and output steering control signals based upon the determined yaw and lateral offset of the vehicle.

Abstract: An example battery swap system may include a battery transport. The battery transport may include a support frame, a connector coupled to the support frame and configured to connect to a powered vehicle for moving the battery transport, and a battery carriage movably coupled to the support frame and configured to horizontally carry a battery from a transport supported position to a tractor received position.

Abstract: An example calibration system may include a tractor and a calibration unit. The tractor may include a first sensor and a second sensor. The calibration unit may include a processing unit and a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions to direct the processing unit to: (1) determine a first estimate for a tractor parameter based upon signals received from the first sensor; (2) determine a second estimate for the tractor parameter based upon signals received from the second sensor; (3) determine a third estimate for the tractor parameter based upon a combination of the first estimate and the second estimate; (4) determine a tractor parameter correction based upon the second estimate and the third estimate; and (4) apply the tractor parameter correction to the second sensor to control positioning of the tractor.

Abstract: A vehicle may include a movable roof, a sensor supported by the roof, and an actuator for selectively raising and lowering the roof.

Abstract: An object detection system may apply an object detection model to the first image frame to predict a location of a first bounding box of an object in the first image frame and apply a confidence value to the predicted location of first bounding box. In response to the confidence level exceeding a predetermined threshold, a location of a second bounding box in the second image frame may be estimated based on the location of the first bounding box and non-zero movement of the vehicle. The object detection model is updated based on the estimated location of the second bounding box in the second image frame. A location of a third bounding box in the third image frame is predicted using the updated object detection model. An operation of the vehicle is controlled based on the predicted location of the third bounding box.

Abstract: A steering angle error monitoring system may include a steering ground truth system, an odometry system and a steering controller. The odometry system may include a steering angle sensor and a speed sensor. The steering controller is configured to: determine a steering angle error based on a difference between an estimated turning rate based on signals from the odometry system over a period of time and an actual turning rate based on signals from the steering ground truth system over the period of time and output control signals to output a notification or adjust a steering routine based on the steering angle error.

Abstract: A network use optimization system may include a communication connection controller for being carried by a vehicle. The controller is configured to receive data signals from at least one data source, assign a data signal category to the data signals, and evaluate a current availability of each of a cellular data communications device and a radio frequency communications device. The controller is further configured to select one of the cellular data communications (CDC) device and the radio frequency communications (RFC) device for transmission of the data signals based on the current availability of each of the cellular data communications device and the radio frequency communications device and the category assigned to the data signals. The controller (1) outputs the selection to a person for confirmation and in response to a received confirmation, transmit the data signals using the selection or (2) automatically transmit the data signals using the selection.

Abstract: A mapping system may include a display, a global positioning satellite (GPS) system to be carried by a vehicle and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a polygon representing a geographic boundary of a first region based on signals received from the GPS system of the vehicle as the vehicle travels to enclose the first region, to estimate geographic coordinates of a first number of consecutive rows within the polygon based on signals from the GPS system of the vehicle as the vehicle travels between a second number of consecutive rows less than the first number of consecutive rows and to output control signals causing the display to present a map comprising the polygon and lines within the polygon, the lines being based on the estimated geographic coordinates of the first number of consecutive rows.