Forward looking sensor for predictive grade control

A vehicle grade control system for a vehicle having wheels, a frame, and an implement configured to move through a range of positions with respect to the frame to grade a surface having a current grade to a grade target, the control system comprising:

• an antenna operatively connected to the frame, the antenna configured to receive a location of the vehicle with respect to the surface;
• one or more image sensors configured to image surface irregularities of the surface in a path of the vehicle and to transmit one or more images of the surface irregularities;
• control circuitry operatively connected to the antenna and to the one or more image sensors, the control circuitry including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store program instructions and the processor is configured to execute the stored program instructions to:
• locate surface irregularities from the one or more imaged surface irregularities;
• identify an anticipated angle of the frame based on the located surface irregularities;
• determine a difference between the identified anticipated angle of the frame and the grade target;
• identify a position of the implement with respect to the frame based on the determined difference;
• and
• adjust the position of the implement based on the identified position to grade the surface to arrive at the grade target.

A method of controlling an implement position of a plurality of motor graders each configured to move along a path of a surface, each of the motor graders including a frame supported by wheels and an implement adjustably coupled to the frame, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a first motor grader of one of the plurality of motor graders, a grade target to grade the surface to a desired grade with the implement;
• locating surface irregularities of the surface in a path of the first motor grader;
• identifying an anticipated angle of the frame of the first motor grader based on the located surface irregularities;
• determining a difference between the identified angle of the frame of the first motor grader and the grade target;
• identifying positions of the implement of the first motor grader with respect to the frame based on the determined difference during the first path;
• grading the surface of the path with the identified position of the implement of the first motor grader;
• and
• identifying the path graded by the first motor grader.