Integrated planning and control of large tracked vehicles in open terrain

Trajectory generation and control of large equipment in open field environments involves systematically and robustly operating in uncertain and dynamic terrain. This paper presents an integrated motion planning and control system for tracked vehicles. Flexible path-end adjustments and adaptive look-ahead are introduced to a state lattice planning approach with waypoint control. For a given processing horizon, this increases search coverage and reduces planning error. This tramming approach has been successfully fielded on a 98-ton autonomous blast hole drill rig used in iron ore mining in Western Australia. The system has undergone extensive testing and is now integrated into a production environment. This work is a key element in a larger program aimed at developing a fully autonomous, remotely operated mine.