University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Illi Racecar: A small-scale platform for autonomous driving

Zhang, Jiaming

Content Files
ZHANG-THESIS-2021.pdf

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/113221

Description

Title
Illi Racecar: A small-scale platform for autonomous driving
Author(s)
Zhang, Jiaming
Issue Date
2021-07-22
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Norris, William Robert
Department of Study
Mechanical Sci & Engineering
Discipline
Mechanical Engineering
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Date of Ingest
2022-01-12T22:35:20Z
Keyword(s)
autonomous driving, CAN bus, RTOS, ROS2
Abstract
This thesis proposes a safety-critical 1/10 scale autonomous driving platform called Illi Racecar. Sensors, including three cameras, A laser scanner, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), two encoders, and an E-stop button, were installed on the platform for environmental perception. Three levels of computer module were equipped for data processing and control. A servo motor and a DC motor with the Ackermann steering chassis were utilized for motion control. A self-designed PCB board was placed on the vehicle supporting the electronic system. The Illi Racecar was built based on a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) with a high-low level controller framework. The new generation of Robot Operating System, ROS2, was installed on the main computer station with its real-time features to ensure the platform's reliability. A real-time Drive-by-Wire (DBW) control module with an industry-standard Controller Area Network (CAN) bus was implemented to replace the less reliable ROS serial communication interface. Based on the parameter of the Illi Racecar, two geometric path trackers, namely the Pure pursuit controller and the Stanley controller were simulated using Simulink. After the low-level control programming and sensing system calibration of the platform, real car tests were conducted based on the parameters tuned by the simulation. The program for the real car test was also built in Simulink and generated into C for faster development. After comparing the simulation results and the real car evaluation of different controllers, several factors that influenced the results were determined. The Illi Racecar was the first application of ROS2 on a 1/10 scale Ackermann steering platform and in using Simulink modeling for rapid control system prototyping.
Graduation Semester
2021-08
Type of Resource
Thesis
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/113221
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2021 Jiaming Zhang

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Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois
Dissertations and Theses - Mechanical Science and Engineering