Prototyping an autonomous delivery vehicle
Author:
Heinrich Benjamin C.1, Luettel Thorsten1, Fassbender Dennis1, Burger Patrick1, Ebert Felix1, Himmelsbach Michael1, Jaspers Hanno1, Kusenbach Michael1, Mueller Georg R.1, Naujoks Benjamin1, Orth Felix2, Schmitt Fabian2, Wuensche Hans-Joachim1
Affiliation:
1. Institute for Autonomous Systems Technology , University of the Bundeswehr Munich , Werner-Heisenberg-Weg 39, 85579 Neubiberg , Germany 2. StreetScooter GmbH , Juelicher Strasse 191, 52070 Aachen , Germany
Abstract
Abstract
In this paper, we describe the hardware and software components of a fully autonomous prototype delivery vehicle. Equipped with a robotic arm, the demonstrator is capable of delivering packages and picking up new ones by interacting with custom-made delivery boxes. As highly accurate positioning w. r. t. a box is required for successful handover of packages, we track the pose (position and orientation) of the box using a high-resolution on-board camera. The resulting estimate is relayed to our planning and control modules, which ensure that the vehicle reaches its required pose with centimeter-level accuracy.
In order to deliver packages, the car needs to autonomously navigate our test facility, avoiding static and dynamic obstacles while obeying simple traffic rules. As one focus is on the practical challenges encountered when building a prototype, we cover issues ranging from sensor calibration and system identification to perception, planning, control, and the implementation of high-level behaviors. While some of the proposed solutions to these problems are not necessarily novel, they allowed us to demonstrate the vehicle’s capabilities after a development phase of less than 12 months.
Publisher
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Subject
Electrical and Electronic Engineering,Computer Science Applications,Control and Systems Engineering
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