Portal de Cartagena
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The Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT) is finalizing an electric autonomous vehicle that requires no driver to have a unique sensor in Spain, which recorded 1.3 million points per second to locate the position and movement of any obstacle the vehicle path.
researchers specialized in machine vision and autonomous vehicles are developing a driverless vehicle, with the same features than Google is already testing in the United States (GoogleCAR).
The autonomous vehicle navigation UPCT is based on the 3D LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology.
The vehicle has a main sensor consisting of 64 lasers rotating at 800 rpm in real time creating a 3D map of the environment.
In addition, the vehicle is equipped with side sensors to cover blind spots around the car, cameras visible and infrared to detect pedestrians and traffic analysis and IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) military pressure to support navigation.
With this equipment, the onboard computer can locate high obstacles, static and dynamic accuracy in all directions up to 100 meters away.
The main sensor based on LIDAR 3D is the only one of its feature that exists in Spain, which makes the UPCT in one of the few universities in Europe and the first in Spain to have this technology.
Researchers have completed the first phase of automation of an automatic electric vehicle.
Currently the vehicle without a driver can control both the steering wheel and the brake and accelerator.
They have done mechanically modifying the original direction, for it has been adding motors to control the movement of the steering wheel, the brake and have emulating the signals that direct the gas from the control of the vehicle.
The vehicle thus becomes driven by "similar control units in real time to those used by NASA space missions on Mars," notes Pedro Javier Navarro, a researcher DSIE group and professor at the School of Telecommunications.
Vehicle modifications are being carried out in the Laboratory of Artificial Vision and Intelligent Vehicles.
The following stages of vehicle development will link with the sensing and control unit incorporating a GPS for the vehicle to be able to draw routes on the fly.
Later tests will be performed remotely operated and security systems will be installed as the algorithms to develop autonomous navigation, "the hardest part of the puzzle," Navarro advances.
It is essential to install several units of high-performance processing to support all mathematical calculations needed to interact with the environment in real time and navigate safely, "notes the researcher.
"It is expected that 30% of global transport use these technologies in the future," Navarro, who predicts specific lanes on motorways for standalone lines both goods and individuals .. "Not only would allow the driver to perform other tasks explains, but it would be greener and more environmentally efficient, to keep a steady pace, "he argues.
Among the potential of this technology is mapping in three dimensions, "both topographical level to account for street furniture or control urban development," exemplifies the teaching of the UPCT.
Three theses underway
Navarro and fellow researcher at the Polytechnic Carlos Fernandez are running three doctoral theses to develop new algorithms for obstacle avoidance, navigation and designing new wardrobes able to process huge information generated by the 3D technology lidar systems.
The current vehicle equipment and Intelligent Vehicles Laboratory and Computer Vision has been gained from several projects funded by the UPCT, the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (TIN2012-39279, INP-2011-PCT-430000-ACT9 and UPCA13- 2E-1929).
Source: UPCT
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