Type of Document	Master's Thesis
Author	Currier, Patrick N.
Author's Email Address	pcurrier@vt.edu
URN	etd-05082008-110806
Title	Development of an Automotive Ground Vehicle Platform for Autonomous Urban Operations
Degree	Master of Science
Department	Mechanical Engineering
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Reinholtz, Charles F. Committee Co-Chair Wicks, Alfred L. Committee Co-Chair Hong, Dennis W. Committee Member
Keywords	Urban Challenge Autonomous vehicles Ford Escape
Date of Defense	2008-04-28
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Autonomous ground vehicle operations, such as those found in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge, require a reliable and capable vehicle platform. To meet this requirement, an autonomous ground vehicle platform based on a 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid was developed for operations in urban environments. The vehicle conversion, dubbed Odin, contains a drive-by-wire system that is highly integrated with the OEM systems, providing throttle, steering, shifting, and braking actuation. The vehicle also includes a controller that provides low-level longitudinal using a map-linearized PI controller and lateral curvature control using a bicycle model. The control algorithms proved capable of controlling the vehicle at a level acceptable for autonomous operations. Communications are implemented using the Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS) using custom messages to enhance interoperability potential. The net result is a highly capable autonomous vehicle platform that was validated when Odin successfully completed the 60 mile Urban Challenge.
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