Off-road Autonomy

While autonomous cars are getting a lot of attention in the news for the massive benefits they will provide in the future, autonomy is already hard at work in off-road industries like agriculture, construction and mining.  

The technologies required to drive the operational efficiency and increased productivity that off-road autonomy affords are fundamentally similar to automotive applications. These include precise positioning via GNSS with correction services, perception using a variety of sensors, and machine control integration.  

That said, in many ways these technologies need to be tailored to the specific use cases of off-road autonomy in terms of safety, accuracy and integrity. The hazards and objects that an autonomous mining vehicle may encounter will differ substantially from what an autonomous tractor will face in the field. Understanding these differences is key to providing safe and effective autonomy.

One of the key autonomy sub-systems is positioning. Hexagon | Novatel has a rich history in developing firmware and software algorithms that run on the associated GNSS receivers and engine control units (ECUs). Akin to an orchestra conductor, these algorithms take in all the GNSS and sensor inputs and turn them into useful information that enable the desired function — whether that be row guidance for pass-to-pass accuracy in crop seeding or an autonomous road train for mining transportation.  

At NovAtel, we’re looking to solve the questions “Where am I?” and “What is around me?” to enable autonomy. Leveraging our expertise in GNSS positioning technology and sensor algorithms we are pioneering end-to-end assured autonomy and positioning solutions that accelerate off-road autonomy.

Browse our current offerings in the links below or work with our custom development team to help get your autonomy and robotic program from start-up to scale-up.