System and method for autonomous operation of a machine

A system for autonomous or semi-autonomous operation of a vehicle, comprising:

• a machine automation portal (MAP) application configured to be executed on a computing device, wherein the MAP application is configured to enable the computing device to provide a graphical user interface that enables a user to define a boundary of an autonomous operating zone;
• and
• a robotics processing unit configured to (a) receive the boundary of the autonomous operating zone from the computing device, (b) determine an initial location of a vehicle, (c) generate a planned command path that the vehicle will travel to perform a task within the autonomous operating zone, (d) control operation of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels the planned command path to perform the task, and (e) determine the actual autonomous path that the vehicle travelled to perform the task within the autonomous operating zone;
• wherein the robotics processing unit is further configured to (a) generate a map comprising a plurality of cells, wherein each of the cells stores one or more of (i) an indication of whether the boundary of the autonomous operating zone is located within the cell, (ii) an indication of whether the vehicle is currently located within the cell, (iii) an indication of whether the planned command path is located within the cell, (iv) an indication of whether an obstacle is located within the cell, (v) an indication of the ground elevation within the cell, (vi) an indication of the compaction level within the cell, and (vii) an indication of whether the actual autonomous path is located within the cell, and (b) transmit the map to the MAP application for display on the computing device.