At Polymath Robotics, we make it radically simple to automate off-highway vehicles. We’re releasing a suite of 40 autonomy modules that make it easier than ever to build your autonomous navigation stack. Each module can be used individually or together as a full autonomy solution. This post is a deep dive into our Center Pivot Configuration module.

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Center-pivot steering is common in off-highway settings. In fact, some of our first customers at Polymath had center-pivot vehicles! 

But automating center-pivot vehicles comes with unique challenges due to their unique motion profile, or “kinematic model”. That’s why we built our Center Pivot Configuration – a template that helps you effortlessly control and navigate any center-pivot vehicle.

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What is a center-pivot vehicle?

Also known as an “articulated” vehicle, center-pivot vehicles are those that bend or “pivot” in the middle. Articulation allows heavy equipment to maneuver around tight corners more accurately.

Examples include articulated dump trucks (“ADTs”), skidders, and articulated wheel loaders.

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The challenge of automating center-pivot vehicles

Center-pivot steering poses challenges for conventional autonomous navigation.

Unlike traditional Ackermann steering (like a car), center-pivot steering has a tighter turn radius and no ability to steer in place. 

These kinematic limitations typically contribute to understeering and suboptimal path planning, leading to inefficiencies in navigation and an increased risk of collisions.

That’s why we built the Center Pivot Configuration module – the easier way to tailor your controls and path planning for center-pivot kinematics.

Center Pivot Configuration makes it easy to automate articulated vehicles without worrying about complicated controls engineering.

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How the Center Pivot Configuration module works

We’ve templatized the vehicle controls and motion profile for any center-pivot vehicle, which can be fed to the rest of our (or your) autonomous navigation planner.

The video below shows an example from a real-life customer vehicle with center-pivot motion.

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What makes Center Pivot Configuration so powerful?

Say goodbye to kinematic complexities: our Center Pivot Configuration simplifies center-pivot vehicle automation, working out of the box without the kinematic headache.

Dynamic and adaptable: the module seamlessly adapts to center-pivot vehicles of any size for robust and flexible integration.

Easy to incorporate: like all our modules, you can use Center Pivot Configuration on its own, or as part of our full autonomous navigation system.

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See it in action

Reach out to our sales team to see how Center Pivot Configuration can make your engineering team’s lives easier today.

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