Autonomous compaction testing systems and methods
AssigneeCaterpillar Paving Products Inc.
InventorTimothy M. O'Donnell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An autonomous terrestrial compaction testing vehicle includes a compaction density meter coupled to the vehicle and a controller. The controller is communicatively connected to the compaction density meter and to a controller of a compactor machine that is compacting or has compacted an area of terrain. The controller is configured to autonomously control movement of the vehicle over the compacted area and control the compaction density meter to take a plurality of compaction density measurements ata plurality of locations of the compacted area.
Claims22
An autonomous terrestrial compaction testing vehicle comprising:
- a compaction density meter coupled to the vehicle;
- and
- a controller communicatively connected to the compaction density meter and to a compactor machine that is compacting or has compacted an area of terrain, the controller configured to autonomously:
- control movement of the vehicle over the compacted area;
- and
- control the compaction density meter to take a plurality of compaction density measurements at a plurality of locations of the compacted area.
A system comprises:
- a compactor work machine comprising a compactor controller and configured to compact an area of terrain;
- and
- an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) comprising:
- a compaction density meter coupled to the UAV;
- and
- a UAV controller communicatively connected to the compaction density meter and to the compactor controller, the UAV controller configured to autonomously:
- control movement of the vehicle over at least a portion of the area of terrain that has been compacted by the compactor work machine;
- and
- control the compaction density meter to take a plurality of compaction density measurements at a plurality of locations of the compacted area.
A method comprising:
- compacting at least a portion of an area of terrain with a compactor work machine;
- moving, by a controller, an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) over the at least a portion of the compacted area;
- and
- autonomously measuring, by the controller, a compaction density of the at least a portion of the compacted area at one or more locations with a compaction density meter coupled to the UAV and communicatively coupled to the controller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.