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Development of High Fidelity Mobility Simulation of an Autonomous Vehicle in an Off-Road Scenario Using Integrated Sensor, Controller, and Multi-Body Dynamics

Paramsothy Jayakumar, William Smith, Brant A. Ross, Rohit Jategaonkar, Krystian Konarzewski, NDIA Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium, Dearborn, August 2011, 10 pages.

Abstract

The mechanical behavior of a military vehicle during off-highway operation is complex and highly nonlinear. Some current vehicle concepts include added intelligence through the implementation of sensors and controllers to enable autonomous or semi-autonomous operations. Control systems have typically been developed with controls software where the mechanical plant and sensors are represented as simplified and often linearized blocks, resulting in a poor vehicle assessment. This paper describes the development of an integrated environment for a control system, mechanical system dynamics, and sensor simulation for an improved assessment of the vehicle system performance. The vehicle chosen is an autonomous robot that attempts to follow a prescribed path along an off-highway terrain. The effect of including a stability controller for vehicle mobility is assessed. The architecture of the integrated simulation environment is described and its potential to improve schedule and reduce risk of the development of mechatronic military vehicle systems is explored.

How Multibody Dynamics Simulation Technology is Used

RecurDyn can be used as part of an integrated simulation environment in the development of mechatronic military vehicle systems. This method is proven for an autonomous robot with obstacle avoidance. This method can be used to determine situations in which the control algorithm is deficient and needs to be adjusted.