US20210293001A1

US20210293001A1 - Adjustment of an accessory component of a work machine to avoid a potential collision of an obstacle and the accessory component

Info

Publication number: US20210293001A1
Application number: US16/827,239
Authority: US
Inventors: Brandon Bares; Nathan Louis Mashek; Eric S. Engelmann
Original assignee: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc
Current assignee: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc
Priority date: 2020-03-23
Filing date: 2020-03-23
Publication date: 2021-09-23

Abstract

A control device may obtain sensing data from at least one sensing device associated with a work machine and may determine, based on the sensing data, a projected path of the work machine and a location of at least one obstacle. The control device may determine that the at least one obstacle is in a portion of the projected path of the work machine, wherein the portion of the projected path of the work machine is associated with an accessory component of the work machine. The control device may identify, based on determining that the at least one obstacle is in the portion of the projected path of the work machine, a potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component of the work machine and may cause the accessory component to adjust from a first position to a second position to avoid the potential collision.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to avoiding a potential collision of an obstacle and an accessory component of a work machine and, for example, to avoiding a potential collision of an obstacle and an adjustable ladder of a milling machine.

BACKGROUND

A work machine may include an accessory component, such as an adjustable ladder, that may be adjusted from one position to another position (e.g., from a deployed position to a stowed position, or vice versa). In some cases, an operator of the work machine may adjust (e.g., manually or by using an adjustment device) the accessory component (e.g., cause the accessory component to adjust from a first position to a second position) to account for an operating environment of the work machine. For example, an operator of a milling machine may adjust an adjustable ladder (e.g., that may be used by the operator to climb up or down the milling machine) to prevent the adjustable ladder from colliding with obstacles (e.g., mailboxes, bushes, and/or the like) that are adjacent to a work surface of the milling machine when the milling machine is in operation.
Often, however, the operator of the work machine may not notice an obstacle and/or may forget to adjust the accessory component, which may allow the obstacle to collide with the accessory component. This may damage the accessory component and/or the work machine. Further, the operator of the work machine may need to continually adjust the accessory component to avoid many different obstacles while operating the work machine. This may be a time-consuming process, which may cause the work machine to be operated in an inefficient manner.
One attempt to provide a control unit that can be configured to raise a ladder (e.g., of a machine) from a deployed position to a stowed position is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0144604 (“the '604 publication”) to Doy, published on May 25, 2017. In particular, the '604 publication discloses that the control unit can be configured to move the ladder from its deployed position to its stowed position when an operator starts to move the machine or an implement of the machine, such as a blade.
While the control unit of the '604 publication may be effective at preventing damage to a ladder of a machine by moving the ladder to a stowed position when an operator starts to move the machine or an implement of the machine, the '604 publication does not disclose automatically adjusting a position of the ladder based on determining that an obstacle may collide with the ladder while the machine is moving along a projected path. The system of the present disclosure solves one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems in the art.

SUMMARY

According to some implementations, a method may include obtaining sensing data from at least one sensing device associated with a work machine; determining, based on the sensing data, a projected path of the work machine; determining, based on the sensing data, a location of at least one obstacle; determining that the at least one obstacle is in a portion of the projected path of the work machine, wherein the portion of the projected path of the work machine is associated with an accessory component of the work machine; identifying, based on determining that the at least one obstacle is in the portion of the projected path of the work machine, a potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component of the work machine; and causing the accessory component to adjust from a first position to a second position to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component.
According to some implementations, a control system for an adjustable ladder of a milling machine may comprise a controller configured to: obtain the sensing data from at least one sensing device; determine, based on the sensing data, a projected path of the milling machine; identify, based on the projected path of the milling machine and a location of at least one obstacle, a potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the adjustable ladder of the milling machine; and cause the adjustable ladder to adjust from a first position to a second position to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the adjustable ladder.
According to some implementations, a work machine may comprise an accessory component and a controller configured to: obtain sensing data from the at least one sensing device to identify a location of at least one obstacle; identify, based on the location of the at least one obstacle, a potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component; and cause the accessory component to adjust from a first position to a second position to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is diagram of an example machine described herein.

FIGS. 2-4 are diagrams of an example adjustable ladder of the machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of an example environment in which systems and/or methods, described herein, may be implemented.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an example process for adjusting an accessory component of a work machine to avoid a potential collision of an obstacle and the accessory component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example machine 100 described herein. The term “machine” or “work machine” may refer to any machine that performs an operation associated with an industry such as, for example, paving, mining, construction, farming, transportation, or any other industry. For example, the machine 100 may include a mobile machine, such as a milling machine (also referred to as a cold planer) shown in FIG. 1, or any other type of mobile machine.
As shown in FIG. 1, the machine 100 operates on a ground surface 102 for performing a milling operation on the ground surface 102. The machine 100 includes a frame 104 and an engine enclosure 106 attached to the frame 104. The engine enclosure 106 houses an engine (not shown). The engine may be an internal combustion engine that provides propulsion power to the machine 100 and/or also powers one or more components of the machine 100.
The machine 100 includes a front end 108 and a rear end 110. A pair of front tracks 112 are proximate to the front end 108 of the machine 100. Further, a pair of rear tracks 114 are proximate to the rear end 110 of the machine 100. The machine 100 has an operator platform 116. An operator of the machine 100 may sit or stand at the operator platform 116 to operate the machine 100. The operator platform 116 may include various input and/or output devices, such as a control panel 118. The control panel 118 may include a user interface that allows the operator to provide inputs for performing one or more machine tasks. Further, the control panel 118 may include one or more lights, one or more speakers, one or more displays, and/or the like to provide notifications, alerts, and/or the like to the operator to assist in operating the machine 100.
The machine 100 also includes a rotor chamber 120 enclosed by a first plate 122 and a second plate (not shown). A rotor (not shown) that is rotatably coupled to the frame 104 lies within the rotor chamber 120. The rotor includes a generally cylindrical member and a number of cutting assemblies disposed on the cylindrical member. A portion of the cutting assemblies contact the ground surface 102 for removing material (e.g., paving material) therefrom.
The machine 100 includes a conveyor system 124 that may be pivotally connected to the frame 104 and is used to transport the material away from the rotor chamber 120 and into a receptacle (not shown). The conveyor system 124 includes one or more conveyors for transportation of the material. Further, the machine 100 includes a scraper door 126 that is used to clean a portion of the ground surface 102 that is milled by the machine 100.
As further shown in FIG. 1, the machine 100 may further include an accessory component, such as adjustable ladder 128. The adjustable ladder 128 is further described herein in connection with FIGS. 2-5. The accessory component may be capable of adjusting from a first position to one or more additional positions (e.g., capable of adjusting from a deployed position to one or more stowed positions). The machine 100 may also include at least one sensing device 130 disposed on or near the accessory component. The at least one sensing device 130 is further described herein in connection with FIG. 5. The at least one sensing device 130 may be operably connected to the operator platform 116, the accessory component, the control panel 118, and/or a control device 132. The control device 132 is further described herein in connection with FIG. 5.
The machine 100 may operate in an operating environment that may include at least one obstacle 134. An obstacle 134 may include a rock, a mailbox, a bush, a fire hydrant, and/or any other type of object. As the machine 100 travels along a path (e.g., on the ground surface 102), the machine 100 and/or the accessory component (e.g., the adjustable ladder 128) may have a potential to collide with the at least one obstacle 134. Some implementations described herein are directed to adjusting a position of the accessory component (e.g., the adjustable ladder 128) to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle 134 and the accessory component.
As indicated above, FIG. 1 is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from what was described in connection with FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example adjustable ladder 128 that may be used with the machine of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the adjustable ladder 128 may be in a deployed position 200 (e.g., the adjustable ladder 128 may extend down toward the ground surface 102 (not shown in FIG. 2) in a “lowered” position). Accordingly, a lowermost portion 202 of the adjustable ladder 128 may be a particular distance from the ground surface 102 (e.g., a particular height above ground level) to allow an operator to climb up to or down from the operator platform 116 on the machine 100.
The adjustable ladder 128 may include and/or may be attached to a moveable platform 204 that connects to the operator platform 116. The adjustable ladder 128 may include one or more adjustment points 206 (e.g., one or more hinges, one or more pivot points, and/or the like) to allow the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust from the deployed position 200 to another position (e.g., a stowed position as described herein). In some implementations, an adjustment device 208 (e.g., such as a powered hinge) may be configured to engage one or more parts of the adjustable ladder 128 to cause the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust from the deployed position 200 to another position (e.g., as described herein). The adjustment device 208 may be operably connected to the control device 132 to allow the control device 132 to control adjustment of the adjustable ladder 128 from one position (e.g., deployed position 200) to another position (e.g., a stowed position as described herein).
As indicated above, FIG. 2 is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from what is described in connection with FIG. 2.
FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example adjustable ladder 128 that may be used with the machine of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the adjustable ladder 128 may be in a first stowed position 300 (e.g., in a first “raised” position), such that the lowermost portion 202 of the adjustable ladder 128 may be a particular distance from the ground surface 102 (e.g., a particular height above ground level) that is greater than a distance from the ground surface 102 of the lowermost portion 202 of the adjustable ladder 128 when the adjustable ladder is in the deployed position 200.
The control device 132 may cause the adjustment device 208 to engage one or more or parts of the adjustable ladder 128 to cause the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust to the first stowed position 300 (e.g., from the deployed position 200). At least one part of the adjustable ladder 128 may adjust (e.g., rotate, slide, pivot, and/or the like) via the one or more adjustment points 206.
As indicated above, FIG. 3 is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from what is described in connection with FIG. 3.
FIG. 4 is a diagram of an example adjustable ladder 128 that may be used with the machine of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the adjustable ladder 128 may be in a second stowed position 400 (e.g., in a second “raised” position), such that the lowermost portion 202 of the adjustable ladder 128 may be a particular distance from the ground surface 102 (e.g., a particular height above ground level) that is greater than a distance from the ground surface 102 of the lowermost portion 202 of the adjustable ladder 128 when the adjustable ladder is in the deployed position 200 and/or the first stowed position 300.
The control device 132 may cause the adjustment device 208 to engage one or more parts of the adjustable ladder 128 to cause the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust to the second stowed position 400 (e.g., from the deployed position 200 and/or the first stowed position 300). At least one part of the adjustable ladder 128 may adjust (e.g., rotate, slide, pivot, and/or the like) via the one or more adjustment points 206.
As indicated above, FIG. 4 is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from what is described in connection with FIG. 4.
FIG. 5 is a diagram of an example environment 500 in which systems and/or methods described herein may be implemented. As shown in FIG. 5, environment 500 includes the control panel 118, the adjustable ladder 128, the at least one sensing device 130, and/or the control device 132. Devices of environment 500 may interconnect via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections.
The control panel 118 may include a user interface that includes one or more input devices, such as a dial, a knob, a slider, a joystick, and/or the like to control the machine 100 and/or the adjustable ladder 128. The control panel 118 may be configured to generate one or more commands to control the machine 100 and/or the adjustable ladder 128. The control panel 118 may include one or more lights, one or more speakers, one or more displays, and/or the like to provide notifications, alerts, and/or the like regarding operation of the machine 100 and/or the adjustable ladder 128.
The control device 132 may be a controller, an electronic control unit (ECU), and/or the like of the machine 100. The control device 132 may be implemented as a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and/or another type of processing component. The processor may be implemented in hardware, firmware, and/or a combination of hardware and software. The control device 132 may include one or more processors capable of being programmed to perform a function. One or more memories, including a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and/or another type of dynamic or static storage device (e.g., a flash memory, a magnetic memory, and/or an optical memory) may store information and/or instructions for use by the control device 132. The control device 132 may include a memory (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable medium) capable of storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform one or more processes and/or methods described herein. The control device 132 may be configured to generate one or more commands to cause the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust from one position to another position.
The at least one sensing device 130 may include any type of sensor configured to capture sensing data (e.g., image data, video data, distance data, and/or the like) associated with the machine 100. For example, the at least one sensing device 130 may capture sensing data concerning a physical area around, in front, to the back, to the side, and/or the like of machine 100. The at least one sensing device 140 may include at least one camera device, at least one radar device, at least one light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device, at least one sonar device, and/or the like to capture the image data, the video data, the distance data, and/or the like that comprises the sensing data.
The at least one sensing device 130 may be configured to send the sensing data (e.g., directly or via one or more other components or devices of the machine 100) to the control device 132. The at least one sensing device 130 may send the sensing data to the control device 132 as the at least one sensing device 130 collects the sensing data (e.g., as a data stream, as a data signal, and/or the like).
The control device 132 may receive the sensing data from the at least one sensing device 130. The control device 132 may parse the sensing data to identify the image data, the video data, the distance data, and/or the like that comprises the sensing data. The control device 132 may separately receive the image data, the video data, the distance data, and/or the like that comprises the sensing data from the at least one sensing device 130.
The control device 132 may process the sensing data to identify and/or determine a projected path of the machine 100. The control device 132 may process the sensing data to identify and/or determine a location of at least one obstacle 134 (e.g., in a field of view of the at least one sensing device 130). For example, the control device 132 may process the sensing data using one or more computer vision techniques (e.g., a 3-D modeling technique, an optical flow processing technique, an object recognition and/or tracking technique, and/or the like) to identify and/or determine the projected path of the machine 100 and/or the location of the at least one obstacle 134.
The control device 132 may identify and/or determine that a portion of the projected path of machine 100 is associated with a projected path of the adjustable ladder 128. For example, when the adjustable ladder 128 is disposed on a right side of the machine 100 (e.g., attached to the right side of frame 104 of the machine 100), the control device 132 may identify and/or determine that a right-most portion of the projected path of the machine 100 may be associated with the projected path of the adjustable ladder 128. The client device may process the sensing data (e.g., using one or more of the computer vision techniques described herein) to directly identify and/or determine the projected path of the adjustable ladder 128 (e.g., without identifying and/or determining the projected path of the machine 100).
The control device 132 may determine whether the at least one obstacle 134 is in the portion of the projected path of machine 100 and/or the projected path of the adjustable ladder 128 (e.g., the location of the at least one obstacle is coextensive with at least some of the portion of the projected path of machine 100 and/or the projected path of the adjustable ladder 128). When the control device 132 determines that the at least one obstacle 134 is not in the portion of the projected path of the machine 100 and/or the projected path of the adjustable ladder 128, the control device 132 may identify and/or determine that the at least one obstacle 134 will not collide with the adjustable ladder 128.
When the control device 132 determines that the at least one obstacle 134 is in the portion of the projected path of the machine 100 and/or the projected path of the adjustable ladder 128, the control device 132 may identify and/or determine a potential collision of the at least one obstacle 134 and the adjustable ladder 128. The control device 132 may determine that an uppermost portion of the at least one obstacle 134 is a first height above ground level and that the lowermost portion 202 of the adjustable ladder 128 is a second height above ground level. The control device 132 may identify and/or determine, based on the first height above ground level and the second height above ground level, the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the adjustable ladder of the milling machine (e.g., when the first height is greater than or equal to the second height).
The control device 132 may cause (e.g., based on identifying and/or determining the potential collision of the at least one obstacle 134 and the adjustable ladder 128) one or more lights, one or more speakers, one or more displays, and/or the like of the control panel 118 to provide one or more notifications, alerts, and/or the like (e.g., concerning the potential collision of the at least one obstacle 134 and the adjustable ladder 128). For example, the control device 132 may cause at least one light to be activated (e.g., cause the at least one light to turn on, blink, and/or the like), cause at least one speaker to output at least one sound (e.g., cause an output of at least one notification sound, at least one alert sound, at least one warning sound, and/or the like), cause at least one display to display at least one message (e.g., that indicates the potential collision of the at least one obstacle 134 and the adjustable ladder 128), and/or the like.
The control device 132 may cause (e.g., based on identifying and/or determining the potential collision of the at least one obstacle 134 and the adjustable ladder 128) the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust from a first position to a second position (e.g., to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle 134 and the adjustable ladder 128). For example, when the adjustable ladder 128 is initially in a deployed position (e.g., deployed position 200), the control device 132 may cause the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust to a stowed position (e.g., first stowed position 300 or second stowed position 400). The control device 132 may send one or more commands to the adjustment device 208, which may cause the adjustment device 208 to engage with a part of the adjustable ladder 128. The part of the adjustable ladder 128 may rotate on a hinge, slide along another part of the adjustable ladder 128 (e.g., via a telescoping process), pivot on a pivot point, and/or the like to cause the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust from the first position to the second position.
Additionally, or alternatively, the control device 132 may generate a recommendation to adjust the adjustable ladder 128 from the first position to the second position (e.g., to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component) and may cause the recommendation to be displayed on at least one display of the control panel 118. The operator may see the recommendation and may interact with the control panel 118 to cause the control panel 118 to generate a response. The response may indicate that the adjustable ladder 128 is to be adjusted from the first position to the second position, or, alternatively, that the adjustable ladder 128 is not to be adjusted. The control panel 118 may send the response to the control device 132. When the response indicates that the adjustable ladder 128 is to be adjusted from the first position to the second position, the control device 132 may cause, based on the response, the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust from the first position to the second position. When the response indicates that the adjustable ladder 128 is not to be adjusted, the control device 132 may prevent the adjustable ladder 128 from being adjusted.
In this way, the control device 132 may adjust the adjustable ladder 128 to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle 134 and the adjustable ladder 128. For example, adjusting the adjustable ladder 128 from the first position to the second position may cause the lowermost portion 202 of the adjustable ladder 128 to be a height above ground level that is greater than a height above ground level of an uppermost portion of the at least one obstacle 134, which may cause the adjustable ladder 128 to pass above the at least one obstacle without colliding with the at least one obstacle 134.
The control device 132 may receive, after causing the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust (e.g., from the first position to the second position) as described herein, a command to adjust the adjustable ladder 128 from the second position to the first position. For example, the operator may interact with the control panel 118 to cause the control panel 118 to generate and send the command to the control device 132 (e.g., to cause the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust from a stowed position to a deployed position for use by the operator). Accordingly, the control device 132 may cause the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust from the second position to the first position.
The control device 132 may receive, after causing the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust (e.g., from the first position to the second position) as described herein, additional sensing data (e.g., sensing data associated with a time period after the adjustable ladder 128 has adjusted to the second position) from the at least one sensing device 130 (e.g., in a similar manner as described herein in relation to receiving sensing data from the at least one sensing device 130). The control device 132 may process the additional sensing data to determine that the machine 100 has ceased moving and may thereby cause the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust from the second position to another position, such as the first position (e.g., to cause the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust from a stowed position to a deployed position for use by the operator).
The control device 132 may process the additional sensing data to identify and/or determine an updated projected path of the machine 100, an updated projected path of the adjustable ladder 128, and/or an updated location of the at least one obstacle 134 (e.g., in a similar manner as described herein in relation to identifying and/or determining the projected path of the machine 100, the projected path of the adjustable ladder 128, and/or the location of the of the at least one obstacle 134). The control device 132 may determine whether the at least one obstacle 134 is in a portion of the updated projected path of machine 100 (e.g., that is associated with the adjustable ladder 128) and/or the updated projected path of the adjustable ladder 128.
When the control device 132 determines that the at least one obstacle 134 is not in the portion of the updated projected path of the machine 100 and/or the updated projected path of the adjustable ladder 128, the control device 132 may identify and/or determine that the at least one obstacle 134 will not collide with the adjustable ladder 128. Accordingly, the control device 132 may cause the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust from the second position to another position, such as the first position (e.g., to allow the adjustable ladder 128 to be deployed for use by the operator of the machine 100).
When the control device 132 determines that the at least one obstacle 134 is in the portion of the updated projected path of the machine 100 and/or the updated projected path of the adjustable ladder 128, the control device 132 may identify and/or determine an additional potential collision of the at least one obstacle 134 and the adjustable ladder 128. The control device 132 may cause the one or more lights, the one or more speakers, the one or more displays, and/or the like of the control panel 118 to provide one or more notifications, alerts, and/or the like (e.g., concerning the additional potential collision of the at least one obstacle 134 and the adjustable ladder 128). The control device 132 may cause (e.g., based on identifying and/or determining the additional potential collision of the at least one obstacle 134 and the adjustable ladder 128) the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust from the second position to a third position (e.g., to avoid the additional potential collision of the at least one obstacle 134 and the adjustable ladder 128) in a similar manner as described herein in relation to causing the adjustable ladder 128 to adjust from the first position to the second position.
As indicated above, FIG. 5 is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from what is described in connection with FIG. 5.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an example process 600 for adjusting an accessory component of a work machine to avoid a potential collision of an obstacle and the accessory component. One or more process blocks of FIG. 6 may be performed by a control device (e.g., control device 132). One or more process blocks of FIG. 6 may be performed by another device or a group of devices separate from or including the control device, such as at least one sensing device (e.g., at least one sensing device 130), a control panel (e.g., control panel 118), and/or the like.
As shown in FIG. 6, process 600 may include obtaining sensing data from at least one sensing device associated with a work machine (block 610), as described herein. As further shown in FIG. 6, process 600 may include determining, based on the sensing data, a projected path of an accessory component of the work machine (block 620), as described herein. As further shown in FIG. 6, process 600 may include determining, based on the sensing data, a location of at least one obstacle (block 630), as described herein.
As further shown in FIG. 6, process 600 may include determining that the at least one obstacle is in the projected path of the accessory component of the work machine (block 640), as described herein. As further shown in FIG. 6, process 600 may include identifying, based on determining that the at least one obstacle is in the projected path of the accessory component of the work machine, a potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component of the work machine (block 650), as described herein. As further shown in FIG. 6, process 600 may include causing the accessory component to adjust from a first position to a second position to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component (block 660), as described herein.
Process 600 may include additional implementations, such as any single implementation or any combination of implementations described below and/or in connection with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.
Although FIG. 6 shows example blocks of process 600, in some implementations, process 600 may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in FIG. 6. Additionally, or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process 600 may be performed in parallel.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The disclosed control device (e.g., the control device 132) may be used to adjust any accessory component (e.g., adjustable ladder 128, as well as any other adjustable accessory component) of a work machine to avoid a potential collision of at least one obstacle and the accessory component. The control device is able to obtain sensing data to identify a projected path of the accessory component and a location of the at least one obstacle. The control device is thereby able to identify a potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component and cause the accessory component to adjust from one position to another position.
In this way, by automatically adjusting the accessory component when the at least one obstacle is in a projected path of the accessory component, the control device may cause the accessory component to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component. This may prevent damage to the accessory component and/or the work machine, which reduces a likelihood that the accessory component and/or the work machine will need to be repaired. Further, this may allow an operator of the work machine to focus on other aspects of operating the work machine rather than on monitoring the accessory component. This may cause the work machine to be operated in a more efficient manner.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining sensing data from at least one sensing device associated with a work machine;

determining, based on the sensing data, a projected path of the work machine;

determining, based on the sensing data, a location of at least one obstacle;

determining that the at least one obstacle is in a portion of the projected path of the work machine,

wherein the portion of the projected path of the work machine is associated with an accessory component of the work machine;

identifying, based on determining that the at least one obstacle is in the portion of the projected path of the work machine, a potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component of the work machine; and

causing the accessory component to adjust from a first position to a second position to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, after causing the accessory component to adjust from the first position to the second position, additional sensing data from the at least one sensing device;

determining, based on the additional sensing data, an updated projected path of the work machine;

identifying, based on the additional sensing data, an updated location of the at least one obstacle;

determining that the at least one obstacle is not in a portion of the updated projected path of the work machine,

wherein the portion of the updated projected path of the work machine is associated with the accessory component of the work machine;

determining, based on determining that the at least one obstacle is not in the portion of the updated projected path of the work machine, that the at least one obstacle will not collide with the accessory component of the work machine; and

causing, based on determining that the at least one obstacle will not collide with the accessory component of the work machine, the accessory component to adjust from the second position to the first position.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the at least one obstacle is in a portion of the updated projected path of the work machine,

determining, based on determining that the at least one obstacle is in the portion of the updated projected path of the work machine, an additional potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component of the work machine; and

causing, based on determining the additional potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component of the work machine, the accessory component to adjust from the second position to a third position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the accessory component to adjust from the second position to the first position comprises at least one of:

causing a part of the accessory component to rotate on a hinge;

causing the part of the accessory component to slide along another part of the accessory component; or

causing the part of the accessory component to pivot on a pivot point.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessory component is an adjustable ladder, the first position is a deployed position of the adjustable ladder, and the second position is a stowed position of the adjustable ladder.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, after identifying the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component, at least one of:

a light on the work machine to be activated;

a sound to be outputted via a speaker of the work machine; or

a message indicating the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component to be displayed on a display of the work machine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the accessory component to adjust from the first position to the second position to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component comprises:

generating a recommendation to adjust the accessory component from the first position to the second position to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component

causing the recommendation to be displayed on a display of the work machine;

receiving, after causing the recommendation to be displayed, a response indicating that the accessory component is to be adjusted from the first position to the second position; and

causing, based on the response, the accessory component to adjust from the first position to the second position.

8. A control system for an adjustable ladder of a milling machine, the control system comprising:

a controller configured to:

obtain the sensing data from at least one sensing device;

determine, based on the sensing data, a projected path of the milling machine;

identify, based on the projected path of the milling machine and a location of at least one obstacle, a potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the adjustable ladder of the milling machine; and

cause the adjustable ladder to adjust from a first position to a second position to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the adjustable ladder.

9. The control system of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensing device includes at least one of:

a camera device;

a radar device;

a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device; or

a sonar device.

10. The control system of claim 8, wherein the first position is a lowered position of the adjustable ladder and the second position is a raised position of the adjustable ladder.

11. The control system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

activate, based on identifying the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the adjustable ladder of the milling machine, a light of an operator platform of the milling machine;

output, based on identifying the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the adjustable ladder of the milling machine, a sound via a speaker of the operator platform of the milling machine; or

display, based on identifying the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the adjustable ladder of the milling machine, a message indicating the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the adjustable ladder on a display of the operator platform of the milling machine.

12. The control system of claim 8, wherein the controller, when identifying, the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the adjustable ladder of the milling machine, is configured to:

determine a portion of the projected path of the milling machine that is associated with a projected path of the adjustable ladder of the milling machine;

determine that the at least one obstacle is in the portion of the projected path of the milling machine; and

determine, based on determining that the at least one obstacle is in the portion of the projected path of the milling machine, the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the adjustable ladder of the milling machine.

13. The control system of claim 8, wherein the controller, when identifying, the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the adjustable ladder of the milling machine, is configured to:

determine, based on the projected path of the milling machine and the location of the at least one obstacle, that the at least one obstacle is in a projected path of the adjustable ladder of the milling machine;

determine, based on determining that the at least one obstacle is in the projected path of the adjustable ladder of the milling machine, that an uppermost portion of the at least one obstacle is a first height above ground level;

determine, based on determining that the at least one obstacle is in the projected path of the adjustable ladder of the milling machine, that a lowermost portion of the adjustable ladder is a second height above ground level; and

determine, based on the first height above ground level and the second height above ground level, the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the adjustable ladder of the milling machine.

14. The control system of claim 8, wherein the controller causing the adjustable ladder to adjust from the first position to the second position causes a lowermost portion of the adjustable ladder to be a height above ground level that is greater than a height above ground level of an uppermost portion of the at least one obstacle.

15. The control system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

obtain, after causing the adjustable ladder to adjust from the first position to the second position, additional sensing data from the at least one sensing device;

determine, based on the additional sensing data, that the milling machine has ceased moving; and

causing, based on determining that the milling machine has ceased moving, the adjustable ladder to adjust from the second position to another position.

16. A work machine comprising:

an accessory component; and

a controller configured to:

obtain sensing data from the at least one sensing device to identify a location of at least one obstacle;

identify, based on the location of the at least one obstacle, a potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component; and

cause the accessory component to adjust from a first position to a second position to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component.

17. The work machine of claim 16, wherein the controller, when identifying the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component, is configured to:

determine, based on the sensing data, a projected path of the accessory component;

determine, based on the location of the at least one obstacle, that the at least one obstacle is in the projected path of the accessory component; and

determine, based on determining that the at least one obstacle is in the projected path of the accessory component, the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component.

18. The work machine of claim 16, wherein the controller, when causing the accessory component to adjust from the first position to the second position to avoid the potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component, is configured to:

cause a device associated with the accessory component to engage a part of the accessory component to cause the part of the accessory component to:

rotate on a hinge;

slide along another part of the accessory component; or

pivot on a pivot point.

19. The work machine of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to:

obtain, after causing the accessory component to adjust from the first position to the second position, additional sensing data from the at least one sensing device to identify an updated location of the at least one obstacle;

identify, based on the updated location of the at least one obstacle, an additional potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component; and

cause the accessory component to adjust from the second position to a third position to avoid the additional potential collision of the at least one obstacle and the accessory component.

20. The work machine of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive, after causing the accessory component to adjust from the first position to the second position, a command to adjust the accessory component from the second position to the first position; and

cause, based on the command, the accessory component to adjust from the second position to the first position.