Development of an Energy Efficient and Cost Effective Autonomous Vehicle Research Platform

Area of Science:

• Automotive Engineering
• Robotics
• Computer Vision

Background:

• Autonomous vehicle (AV) commercialization is a key automotive industry goal.
• Existing literature lacks straightforward, cost-effective AV research platform development methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the methodology and results of an AV instrumentation and controls system.
• To detail the development of a 2019 Kia Niro for a local AV pilot program.

Main Methods:

• Instrumentation included a drive-by-wire actuation kit, radar, stereo camera, computer vision system, LiDAR, IMU, and GPS receivers.
• An in-vehicle computer handled perception and path planning, with ROS as middleware.
• Components were selected, installed, and integrated onto the vehicle.

Main Results:

• Successful utilization of all installed sensors and drive-by-wire functionality was achieved.
• The platform exhibited a typical additional power consumption of 242.8 Watts.
• The total development cost was $118,189 USD, significantly lower than comparable commercial systems.

Conclusions:

• The developed AV platform provides a cost-effective and functional solution for research and development.
• The 2019 Kia Niro serves as a primary platform for ongoing AV research.
• This approach addresses the need for accessible AV development tools.