US Patent 11980132 Determining orientation of a mower using horizon mapping

A mower's control system can maintain horizon maps that associate horizon features with known relative positions. When a mower's orientation is unknown, the control system can obtain an image that captures the horizon from the mower's current viewpoint. The control system can process the image to detect any horizon features that appear within the image and to determine their positions within the image. The control system can then access a horizon map to identify matching horizon features. The control system can compare the known relative positions of any matching horizon features with the positions of the horizon features within the image to thereby determine the mower's current orientation.