B.R.A.V.O. or “Bring Reliability to Autonomous Vehicle Operation” is a fully autonomous vehicle that incorporates the use of a remote image processing unit as well as onboard sensors to navigate a predetermined course, navigate alternate routes involving 90 degree turns and stop signs, detect potential collisions, and obey the basic “rules of the road.”
As a senior design project, integration of a driverless system into an actual automobile was an intriguing idea, but the execution was limited by the enormous cost as well as safety concerns for demonstrating such technology. Faced with this reality, the group decided upon a more practical platform which still demonstrates the applicability of a driverless car system, albeit on a much smaller scale. As a group consisting of a computer engineer and three electrical engineers this project was attractive for several reasons: the obvious need for a large amount of image processing and coding, the importance of balancing the need for a consistent power supply against size constraints, the integration of a robust motor control system, the use of sensors, and the focus on choosing a powerful enough processor to integrate all the various parts of the project. The group felt that this project provided valuable experience in a wide array of topics that will not only broaden the knowledge of each individual engineer, but reinforce many of the concepts already encountered as an engineering student.