Inter-field routes scheduling and rescheduling for an autonomous tractor fleet at the farm

Algorithms for a task controller for autonomous tractors and implements are considered. These algorithms are for the optimal work time allocation and path planning for the inter-field (scattered fields) precision agriculture activities. When the delay or the breakdown of the autonomous tractor & implement happens during its inter-field agricultural mission the necessary corrective actions must be taken immediately to improve the overall work-time allocation and path planning. These actions are called rescheduling and are the elements of a feedback control scheme. The effective though simple heuristic algorithms are described here that solve these problems on-line. The algorithms essentially use results of the previous approximately-optimal scheduling assignments and route descriptions. Wireless interaction between on-tractor task controller (TC) and on-farm information system (FIS) is assumed. A numerical example demonstrates the algorithm.