System and method of the automatic compaction of soil

A method for automated soil compacting, comprising the steps of:

• locally defining surface boundaries of a surface to be compacted by a normally hand guided soil compacting device, using a locally positioned surface definition device;
• planning a travel path of the compacting device, on the basis of the defined surface area and on the compaction needs of the surface, in such a way that the soil compacting device travels over at least substantially the entire surface a sufficient number of times to achieve complete compaction of the soil in the surface;
• controlling at least one vibration excitation device to cause the soil compacting device to automatically travel along the travel path within the surface boundaries in a generally straight line such that the position of the compacting device relative to a work surface is defined solely by the surface boundary;
• detecting an approach of the soil compacting device to one of the surface boundaries;
• and
• automatically modifying of the direction of travel of the soil compacting device from the generally straight line in such a way that the soil compacting device does not cross the respective surface boundary, but rather continues its travel within the surface in a direction crossing the generally straight line.