Pile manipulation for autonomous pile driver vehicle

An autonomous pile driving system, comprising:

• an end effector;
• a hardware processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform steps comprising:
• identifying, using a pile plan map, a target location to install a pile;
• autonomously navigating, by the autonomous pile driving system, towards the target location;
• autonomously determining whether a first end of the pile is within a threshold distance of the autonomous pile driving system;
• autonomously determining an orientation and location of the first end of the pile determined to be located within the threshold distance of the autonomous pile driving system;
• autonomously positioning the end effector based on the determined orientation and location of the first end of the pile;
• autonomously picking up, by the autonomous pile driving system, the pile by engaging the positioned end effector with the first end of the pile;
• autonomously positioning, by the autonomous pile driving system, the pile based on the target location;
• and
• autonomously driving, by the autonomous pile driving system, the pile into ground at the target location by applying a driving force with the end effector to the first end of the pile to cause a second end of the pile to be driven into the ground.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by a hardware processor of an autonomous off-road vehicle (AOV), cause the AOV to perform steps comprising:

• identifying, by the AOV using a pile plan map, a target location to install a pile;
• autonomously navigating, by the AOV, towards the target location;
• autonomously determining, by the AOV, whether a first end of the pile is within a threshold distance of the AOV;
• autonomously determining, by the AOV, an orientation and location of the first end of the pile determined to be located within the threshold distance of the AOV;
• autonomously positioning, by the AOV, a tool of the AOV based on the determined orientation and location of the first end of the pile;
• autonomously picking up, by the AOV, the pile by engaging the positioned tool of the AOV with the first end of the pile;
• autonomously positioning, by the AOV, the pile based on the target location;
• and
• autonomously driving, by the AOV, the pile into ground at the target location by applying a driving force with the tool to the first end of the pile to cause a second end of
• the pile to be driven into the ground.