Week of 9/6/2021 - Progress Report 1

The following is a list of steps that we think we need to fulfill in order to fully achieve autonomous driving:

1. Kart control through microprocessor or microcontroller

   1. Minor movements can show that the controller will be able to control the Kart.

2. Sensor placement

   1. The sensors have to be arranged to allow the Kart to have visibility in 360 degrees or at least allow for the Kart to be able to see in 45-degree increments. This will give us enough information to allow for further self-driving maneuvers.

3. Obstacle Avoidance

   1. Use the sensors to control the Kart to avoid moving and non-moving obstacles such as walls or people.

   2. This involves stopping the Kart before hitting the object or steering the Kart away from the object but also protecting the person steering.

4. Point to Point movement without human influence

   1. Moving a specific distance predetermined by a person but autonomously

5. Self-Parking

   1. Fitting in tight places autonomously

From this list, we created the three critical phases: Collision detection and lane departure, self-parking, and A-to-B navigation. One member of the group chose a phase to lead.

Jacob

• Leading self-parking emphasis. This will involve parallel parking and potentially parking without the driver. This would involve the driver pressing a button and leaving the kart and after a delay, the kart would park itself. This is helpful when the space is very tight and it is hard to open the door after parking.

• Started research on different Kart options for purchase. Some tradeoffs are price vs speed and performance. Balancing these tradeoffs is important because having a kart that can replicate speeds will allow us to better associate control mechanisms.

• Starting to fill out the website with the project information and details.

• Reached out to Segway for information about the control unit of the Ninebot Go-Kart Pro. We are looking into this kart because it could be a good starting point for the project. We would add sensors and microcontrollers to the kart so that it would be able to sense the environment around it. This will provide the basis for the rest of the project.

Zack

• Leading A-to-B navigation. This will likely utilize GPS navigation to guide the kart to locations specified by the driver/user

• Assisted in the creation of the project website

• Wrote thesis: In this project, we will explore self-driving and collision detection technologies through the creation of an autonomous electric go-kart. There will be three areas of emphasis: self-parking, autonomous navigation, and collision/lane departure detection.

• Reached out to Honda about potentially sponsoring the project, since the estimated budget is well over the allotted $500.

DJ

• Leading anti-collision/lane departure emphasis. This will use sensors to detect possible obstacles that the kart could collide with. The kart will avoid collisions by safely stopping before hitting an obstacle or steering the kart out of the way if necessary.

• Researched anti-collision technology to better understand how lane departure and collision detection systems are implemented into automobiles.

Plans for this week:

• Complete the Senior Project Proposal Form and submit it for review.