# US 12,216,468 B2 · Quality control operation for autonomous pile driving system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,216,468 B2 - Document ID: US12216468B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/085,901 - Filed: 2022-12-21 - Published: 2024-06-27 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2022-12-21 - Assignees: Built Robotics Inc. - Applicants: Built Robotics Inc. - Inventors: Noah Austen Ready-Campbell; Andrew Xiao Liang; Gaurav Jitendra Kikani - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12216468B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/0088: {characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00)} - E02D 7/14: Components for drivers {inasmuch as not specially for a specific driver construction} - E02D 13/06: for observation while placing - G05D 1/0274: {using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30)} - G05D 1/246: using environment maps, e.g. simultaneous localisation and mapping [SLAM] - G05D 1/81: Handing over between on-board automatic and on-board manual control - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - E02D: FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS (specially adapted for hydraulic engineering E02B); UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES {(tunnels, tunnelling, mining E21)} ## Abstract An autonomous off-road vehicle (AOV) autonomously performs a pile driving operation by driving a pile into the ground at a location identified by a pile plan map. The AOV detects one or more attributes of the pile using one or more sensors during or after the pile driving operation. The AOV determines whether the one or more attributes of the pile exceed respective tolerance thresholds. The AOV performs a quality control action in response to determining that the one or more attributes of the pile exceed the respective tolerance thresholds. The one or more attributes include one or more of a location and an orientation of the pile, and the quality control action is performed in response to determining that the location or the orientation of the pile exceeds the respective tolerance threshold. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method performed by an autonomous off-road vehicle (AOV), the method comprising: autonomously loading a pile onto an arm of the AOV; performing an autonomous pile driving operation of autonomously driving the pile into the ground at a location identified by a pile plan map; detecting one or more attributes of the pile at a predetermined frequency using one or more sensors during the autonomous pile driving operation; determining whether at least one of the one or more attributes of the pile is projected to exceed a corresponding tolerance threshold based on an observed trend of the one or more attributes during the autonomous pile driving operation; and performing a quality control action by stopping the autonomous pile driving operation in response to determining that the at least one of the one or more attributes of the pile is projected to exceed the corresponding tolerance threshold before the at least one attribute exceeds the corresponding tolerance threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more attributes include one or more of a location and an orientation of the pile. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising generating quality control condition data in response to determining that the at least one of the one or more attributes of the pile is projected to exceed the corresponding tolerance threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein performing the quality control action further comprises at least one of: transmitting a notification including the quality control condition data to a central server; annotating a quality control log with the quality control condition data and the location identified by the pile plan map; and flagging the location in a quality control review map in association with the quality control condition data for manual inspection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising autonomously adjusting one or more actuation parameters of one or more components of the AOV for the autonomous pile driving operation in response to determining that the at least one of the one or more attributes of the pile is projected to exceed the corresponding tolerance threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the autonomous pile driving operation is autonomously stopped at the location, autonomously performing the autonomous pile driving operation at a next location identified by the pile plan map. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein performing the quality control action further comprises notifying an operator for manual intervention during the autonomous pile driving operation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein performing the quality control action further comprises: autonomously performing a pile removal operation of removing the pile from the ground at the location identified by the pile plan map; and restarting the autonomous pile driving operation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the one or more attributes of the pile at the predetermined frequency comprises detecting at least one of a pile plumbness, a pile horizontal location, a pile vertical location, a pile orientation, a pile rotation, a pile reveal height, a pile deformation, a pile refusal, and a pile damage condition. ### Claim 10 An autonomous off-road vehicle (AOV) comprising: 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: autonomously loading a pile onto an arm of the AOV; performing an autonomous pile driving operation of autonomously driving the pile into the ground at a location identified by a pile plan map; detecting one or more attributes of the pile at a predetermined frequency using one or more sensors during the autonomous pile driving operation; determining whether at least one of the one or more attributes of the pile is projected to exceed a corresponding tolerance threshold based on an observed trend of the one or more attributes during the autonomous pile driving operation; and performing a quality control action by stopping the autonomous pile driving operation in response to determining that the at least one of the one or more attributes of the pile is projected to exceed the corresponding tolerance threshold before the at least one attribute exceeds the corresponding tolerance threshold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The AOV of claim 10, wherein the one or more attributes include one or more of a location and an orientation of the pile. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The AOV of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the hardware processor to perform a step comprising generating quality control condition data in response to determining that the at least one of the one or more attributes of the pile is projected to exceed the corresponding tolerance threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The AOV of claim 12, wherein the instructions that cause the hardware processor to perform the step comprising performing the quality control action further comprise instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform a step comprising at least one of: transmitting a notification including the quality control condition data to a central server; annotating a quality control log with the quality control condition data and the location identified by the pile plan map; and flagging the location in a quality control review map in association with the quality control condition data for manual inspection. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The AOV of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the hardware processor, further cause the hardware processor to perform a step comprising autonomously adjusting one or more actuation parameters of one or more components of the AOV for the autonomous pile driving operation in response to determining that the at least one of the one or more attributes of the pile is projected to exceed the corresponding tolerance threshold. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The AOV of claim 10, wherein the instructions that cause the hardware processor to perform the step comprising detecting the one or more attributes of the pile at the predetermined frequency comprise instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform a step comprising detecting at least one of a pile plumbness, a pile horizontal location, a pile vertical location, a pile orientation, a pile rotation, a pile reveal height, a pile deformation, a pile refusal, and a pile damage condition. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by a hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform steps comprising: autonomously loading a pile onto an arm of an autonomous off-road vehicle (AOV); performing an autonomous pile driving operation of autonomously driving the pile into the ground at a location identified by a pile plan map; detecting one or more attributes of the pile at a predetermined frequency using one or more sensors during the autonomous pile driving operation; determining whether at least one of the one or more attributes of the pile is projected to exceed a corresponding tolerance threshold based on an observed trend of the one or more attributes during the autonomous pile driving operation; and performing a quality control action by stopping the autonomous pile driving operation in response to determining that the at least one of the one or more attributes of the pile is projected to exceed the corresponding tolerance threshold before the at least one attribute exceeds the corresponding tolerance threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more attributes include one or more of a location and an orientation of the pile. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the hardware processor to perform a step comprising generating quality control condition data in response to determining that the at least one of the one or more attributes of the pile is projected to exceed the corresponding tolerance threshold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions that cause the hardware processor to perform the step comprising performing the quality control action further comprise instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform a step comprising at least one of: transmitting a notification including the quality control condition data to a central server; annotating a quality control log with the quality control condition data and the location identified by the pile plan map; and flagging the location in a quality control review map in association with the quality control condition data for manual inspection. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the hardware processor, further cause the hardware processor to perform a step comprising autonomously adjusting one or more actuation parameters of one or more components of the AOV for the autonomous pile driving operation in response to determining that the at least one of the one or more attributes of the pile is projected to exceed the corresponding tolerance threshold.