Excavator data acquisition and control system and process

A data acquisition and control system for a machine having an earth penetrating member, the machine including a propulsion system that propels the machine along a predetermined route, the system comprising:

• a data acquisition system to acquire geological information along the predetermined route, the data acquisition system including a signal processing unit to produce an earth penetrating source signal and to receive a reflected signal resulting from the source signal;
• a machine controller to control the operation of the propulsion system and the earth penetrating member;
• and
• a main controller to receive the geological information from the data acquisition system;
• wherein the main controller estimates a parameter indicative of machine performance using the received geological information, and the machine controller modifies the operation of the propulsion system and earth penetrating member using the estimated machine performance parameter.

A method of excavating, comprising the steps of:

• excavating a first site;
• determining a geologic characteristic of the first site;
• measuring a parameter of excavation productivity while excavating the first site;
• associating the excavation productivity parameter for the first site with the geologic characteristic of the first site to produce correlation data;
• determining a geologic characteristic of a second site;
• and
• estimating a parameter of excavation productivity for second site using the geologic characteristic of the second site and the correlation data.

A method of characterizing a subsurface geology of a predetermined route and controlling an excavator along the predetermined route, including the steps of:

• transporting a geologic imaging system along the predetermined route;
• acquiring geological imaging data for the predetermined route;
• storing the geological imaging data;
• and
• modifying the operation of the excavator in response to the acquired geological imaging data as the excavator traverses along the predetermined route.