Terrain Sensing Mechanisms for High-Speed Navigation of UGVs in Heterogeneous Ground Environments
This project will implement and test high speed autonomous navigation algorithms for Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV). The algorithms will i) sense the terrain, ii) determine the interaction between the terrain and the UGV such as forces induced on the UGV as it moves, and iii) autonomously determine the maximum allowable speed and turning radius of a UGV traversing unknown off-road terrains while maintaining safe conditions at all times for users, the UGV, and the environment. The developed mechanisms will place the partner organization (Mechatroniq Systems Inc.) at the forefront of competitive companies and enable the use and commercialization of UGVs in high demanding critical activities such as infrastructure security, search & rescue, and border security where novel solutions are needed.