Ground engaging tool contact detection system and method

A control system for a work vehicle that operates on a surface, the control system comprising:

• an optical sensor coupled to the work vehicle, the optical sensor configured to capture image data that includes an implement;
• a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing operation information;
• and
• an electronic processor configured to:
• perform an operation by controllably adjusting a position of the implement relative to the work vehicle,
• receive image data captured by the optical sensor,
• apply an artificial neural network to identify whether the implement is in contact with the surface based on the image data from the optical sensor, wherein the artificial neural network is trained to receive the image data as input and to produce as the output an indication of whether the implement is in contact with the surface,
• access, from the non-transitory computer-readable memory, the operation information corresponding to whether the implement is in contact with the surface, and
• automatically adjust an operation of the work vehicle based on the accessed operation information corresponding to whether the implement is in contact with the surface;
• wherein, when the implement may be at or near the surface increasing a speed of an engine and when the implement is above the surface decreasing the speed of the engine.

A work vehicle that operates on a surface, the work vehicle comprising:

• an implement;
• an optical sensor coupled to the work vehicle, the optical sensor configured to capture image data that includes the implement;
• a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing operation information;
• and
• an electronic processor configured to:
• perform an operation by controllably adjusting a position of the implement relative to the work vehicle,
• receive image data captured by the optical sensor,
• apply an artificial neural network to identify whether the implement is in contact with the surface based on the image data from the optical sensor, wherein the artificial neural network is trained to receive the image data as input and to produce as the output an indication of whether the implement is in contact with the surface,
• access, from the non-transitory computer-readable memory, the operation information corresponding to whether the implement is in contact with the surface, and
• automatically adjust an operation of the work vehicle based on the accessed operation information corresponding to whether the implement is in contact with the surface;
• wherein, when the implement may be at or near the surface increasing a speed of an engine and when the implement is above the surface decreasing the speed of the engine.