| Abstract: | A system or method for drilling includes autonomously controlling a
rotary or percussive drilling process as it transitions through multiple
materials with very different dynamics. The method determines a drilling
medium based on real-time measurements and comparison to prior drilling
data, and identifies the material type, drilling region, and
approximately optimal setpoint based on data from at least one operating
condition. The controller uses these setpoints initially to execute an
optimal search to maximize performance by minimizing mechanical specific
energy. |