Exploring Autonomous Vehicle Systems Using Racecar Models

School Name

South Carolina Governor's School for Science & Mathematics

Grade Level

12th Grade

Presentation Topic

Computer Science

Presentation Type

Mentored

Abstract

Vehicular autonomy is a growing field that is expected to revolutionize travel in the near future. This is evident in the growing popularity of the self-driving cars engineered by companies such as Waymo and Tesla. This research was conducted to analyze the various systems that operate to make a car’s mobility fully autonomous. Alongside programming autonomous software, a heavy emphasis was placed on software testing. Software testing is an essential part of any engineering design process because it is important to test the algorithms before they are released in the outside world. This research utilized MIT’s RACECAR platform which is a small scale model of an autonomous car. A combination of control systems, image processing, and motion planning allowed the RACECAR to detect obstacles and make self-directed decisions on how to maneuver accordingly. After implementing these systems, the RACECAR was able to autonomously drive through a final obstacle course that tested its ability to fully recognize colors, follow lines on the ground, and follow the general flow of the course. Once fully developed, these autonomous systems will transform the travel industry as they will be further innovated and used in more vehicle types such as planes, rovers, and trains.

Location

Founders Hall 140 A

Start Date

3-30-2019 11:00 AM

Presentation Format

Oral Only

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 30th, 11:00 AM

Exploring Autonomous Vehicle Systems Using Racecar Models

Founders Hall 140 A

Vehicular autonomy is a growing field that is expected to revolutionize travel in the near future. This is evident in the growing popularity of the self-driving cars engineered by companies such as Waymo and Tesla. This research was conducted to analyze the various systems that operate to make a car’s mobility fully autonomous. Alongside programming autonomous software, a heavy emphasis was placed on software testing. Software testing is an essential part of any engineering design process because it is important to test the algorithms before they are released in the outside world. This research utilized MIT’s RACECAR platform which is a small scale model of an autonomous car. A combination of control systems, image processing, and motion planning allowed the RACECAR to detect obstacles and make self-directed decisions on how to maneuver accordingly. After implementing these systems, the RACECAR was able to autonomously drive through a final obstacle course that tested its ability to fully recognize colors, follow lines on the ground, and follow the general flow of the course. Once fully developed, these autonomous systems will transform the travel industry as they will be further innovated and used in more vehicle types such as planes, rovers, and trains.