Papers for

heavy machinery operators

Papers whose findings have a practical use for this group, as judged from the abstract. Open a paper to read what it means in practice.

Deep learning controls wheel loader V-cycle maneuvers in real time

Wheel-loader V-Cycle Automation with Deep Koopman MPC

Abstract: The repeated forward-reverse maneuvers performed by wheel loaders during earthmoving operations make them well suited for automation. However, the nonlinear dynamics of articulated vehicles and complex vehicle-terrain interactions limit the effectiveness of conventional model-based approaches. This paper presents a hierarchical framework that combines long-horizon geometric planning with data-driven predictive control for autonomous wheel-loader operation. A reduced-order articulated kinematic model is used to generate the maneuver geometry, where the forward and reverse trajectories are jointly optimized through a shared intermediate state. To capture the vehicle dynamics, two data-driven deep bilinear Koopman models are learned for the forward and reverse motions using data generated from high-fidelity simulations in Algoryx Dynamics. The learned Koopman representations are subsequently incorporated into a computationally efficient model predictive control (MPC) formulation for trajectory tracking. The resulting controller operates in real time within a 50-ms execution loop. High-fidelity simulation results demonstrate that the proposed end-to-end framework enables accurate and computationally efficient execution of wheel-loader V-cycle maneuvers, providing a promising approach toward autonomous operation of articulated heavy-duty machinery.

Tue 22 SeptRobotics
The gist
Wheel loaders repeatedly move forward and backward during digging jobs, but their complex movements and interactions with the ground make automation hard. The authors created a two-part system that first plans the overall path using a simple vehicle model and then uses data-driven deep learning models to predict the vehicle’s movements. These models help a fast controller adjust the path in real time, letting the wheel loader perform precise forward-reverse maneuvers automatically. Tests in detailed simulations show this approach works well and efficiently for controlling heavy machinery.
Open → 2609.26580v1