DEFT - A Scaled Electric Vehicle Platform for Testing Autonomous Driving Algorithm

Abstract

Scaled-down vehicles provide a controlled and repeatable environment for testing autonomous driving algorithms, expediting development while mitigating risks associated with full-scale vehicle testing. This paper introduces a meticulously designed scaled-down electric vehicle, emphasizing vehicle state measurement, precise control, perception sensing, and electric safety. Our approach utilizes actuators with feedback, provides enhanced reliability and precision, and torque across all speed ranges, in contrast to conventional scaled platforms built with actuators of radio-controlled cars. Apart from the conventional sensors used in the existing scaled platforms, our vehicle incorporates novel sensor modules to measure wheel angular velocities, steering angles, and battery cell voltages, which can also be seamlessly integrated into these platforms. We demonstrate the vehicle’s motion with manual and autonomous operation and showcase its features for validation.