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Control System for Scale Model PRT Vehicle

Control System for Scale Model PRT Vehicle. Advanced Transit Association Annual Technical Meeting January 13, 2013 College Park, Maryland Robert Johnson R. E. Johnson Consulting Rockville, Maryland www.REJConsult.com. Model of PRT Vehicle that Steers Itself on a Flat Surface. Ultra

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Control System for Scale Model PRT Vehicle

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  1. Control System for Scale Model PRT Vehicle Advanced Transit Association Annual Technical Meeting January 13, 2013 College Park, Maryland Robert Johnson R. E. Johnson ConsultingRockville, Marylandwww.REJConsult.com

  2. Model of PRT Vehicle that Steers Itself on a Flat Surface • Ultra • 2getthere Masdar Vehicle www.REJConsult.com

  3. Why Use Scale Model to Develop Control Software? • More realistic than pure simulation • Avoids assumptions that are not physically possible • Can demonstrate system operation • Suitable for computer vision based control, which is independent of scale • Modern electronics are small enough to fit inside 1/12th scale model – 12.5 in (32 cm) long www.REJConsult.com

  4. PRT Scale Model – Right Side www.REJConsult.com

  5. PRT Scale Model Showing Lateral Sensor Ahead of Front Wheel www.REJConsult.com

  6. External Appearance www.REJConsult.com

  7. Autonomous Vehicle with Three Levels of Computer Control • Central control (like taxi dispatcher, not safety related) • On-board computer vision system running Linux -- provides longitudinal control • On-board microcontroller (only vital system) • Monitors vision computer • Provides lateral control by using sensor to measure distance to sidewall • Controls steering, drive motor, brakes, etc. www.REJConsult.com

  8. Lateral Control Demonstration www.REJConsult.com

  9. Updates Since Last Year’s Technix • Finalized vehicle design except vision system • Electro/mechanical aspects of vision system complete (power supply, etc.) • Achieved basic vehicle following using netbook as vision computer www.REJConsult.com

  10. Small, Inexpensive, Low-Power ARM Computers for Vision Processing www.REJConsult.com

  11. Small Multi-Core ARM Computers for Less Than $200 with Linux Support • Pandaboard • Texas Instruments • 4.5”x4.0” (114x102 mm) • i.MX6 Q Sabre Lite • Freescale Semiconductor • 3.3”x3.3” (83x83 mm) www.REJConsult.com

  12. Current Status of Vision-Based Longitudinal Control • OpenCV vision software operational on x86 PC running Ubuntu Linux • Webcam support not an issue for x86 Ubuntu • Basic vehicle following using color tracking of target on rear of lead vehicle • As temporary measure, communicate with microcontroller by changing brightness of portion of PC display www.REJConsult.com

  13. Vehicle Following www.REJConsult.com

  14. Future Work – Requires Mostly OpenCV and Linux Skills • Port existing software to small ARM computer • Establish suitable communications link between vision computer and microcontroller • Merging • Station operations www.REJConsult.com

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