Bale retriever that generates driveable path for efficiency and to reduce compaction

A system for producing and transporting crop material bales, the system comprising:

• at least one baler comprising:
• a crop collector configured to collect crop material from a field;
• and
• a bale chamber configured to bale crop material collected by the crop collector;
• and
• at least one bale retriever comprising:
• a chassis;
• a steering assembly carried by the chassis and configured to steer the bale retriever;
• a bale pick up carried by the chassis;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the steering assembly, the controller being configured to:
• receive a field signal corresponding to a field map;
• receive a baler travel signal corresponding to at least one of a baler planned path or a baler travel path of at least one baler;
• define an expected location of at least one bale on the field map based at least partially on the baler travel signal;
• define at least one windrow on the field map;
• define a baler traveled path on the field map from the received baler travel signal;
• generate a steering control signal, which is based at least partially on the expected location of the at least one bale, as a shortest distance control signal when in an efficiency mode and as a compaction avoidance control signal when in a compaction mode, wherein the shortest distance control signal corresponds to a straight-line path from the bale retriever to the expected location of the at least one bale that does not cross the at least one windrow and the compaction avoidance control signal corresponds to a path from the bale retriever to the expected location of the at least one bale that overlaps the baler traveled path;
• and
• output the steering control signal to the steering assembly.

A method of controlling a bale retriever comprising a controller to retrieve bales in a field, the method being performed by the controller and comprising:

• receiving a field signal corresponding to a field map;
• receiving a baler travel signal corresponding to at least one of a baler planned path or a baler travel path of at least one baler;
• defining an expected location of at least one bale on the field map based at least partially on the baler travel signal;
• define at least one windrow on the field map;
• define a baler traveled path on the field map from the received baler travel signal;
• generating a steering control signal, which is based at least partially on the expected location of the at least one bale, as a shortest distance control signal when in an efficiency mode and as a compaction avoidance control signal when in a compaction mode, wherein the shortest distance control signal corresponds to a straight-line path from the bale retriever to the expected location of the at least one bale that does not cross the at least one windrow and the compaction avoidance control signal corresponds to a path from the bale retriever to the expected location of the at least one bale that overlaps the baler traveled path;
• and
• outputting the steering control signal to a steering assembly of the bale retriever so the bale retriever is steered towards the expected location of the at least one bale.