Self-guided vehicle
Description
Electric traction self-guided vehicles
Financed by
Programa ATYCA, del Ministerio de Industria.
ATYCA Program, Ministry of industry. D+R National Plan, Canaries Agency of Research, innovation and information society.
Coordinated by
Participants
Universidad de La Laguna
Easy Drive
Abstract
La Laguna University (ULL) and the company Easy Drive have collaborated in the second year of the project with the systems integration and the applications development. Since then, the collaboration between ITER and the ULL has continue by means of the participation in different projects financed inside the D+R National Plan, in which it has been obtained funds for the acquisition of different equipments such as differential GPS system and recently an obstacle detection system by means of laser. Moreover, the ULL work group has improved the vehicle electronic and the guide software with the collaboration of ITER, integrating the different guide systems: GPS, artificial vision, odometer, etc.
At the present, the Canary Agency of Research, Innovation and Information Society has financed the hiring of a technician that will continue working in this line.
This project is carried out by the Departments of Information Technologies and Electronics (poner los enlaces a estos dos departamentos) and it is aimed to develop a prototype of a vehicles guide and control system that will allow having a fleet of electric traction self-guided vehicles able to make different dynamically calculated routes, once installed.
It is specially indicated for areas in which users have difficulties to drive a vehicle or in which the most part of the system users aren´t familiarized with the surroundings.
In short, it is an autonomous system that transports persons in an autonomous way between two locations without having two know the route to follow, what could solve a lot of traffic problems. It has the added value of having a low environmental impact, in relation to its gases emissions and noises.
The main added values of the system are:
- Absence of expensive infrastructures for guide systems. The only action that must be done in the area where the system is implemented will be the layout of small magnets that act as guides for the verification of the vehicles position.
- Possibility of a dynamic route allocation. Each vehicle will be able to move independently between two points inside the operation area.
- Centralized access control and use of the vehicles. The users of the vehicles will have a magnetic card, which will guarantee the access to them.
- Zero CO2 emissions and total absence of noises. This system is designed for the installation of electric vehicles, eliminating as much pollutants emissions and traffic noise.
In the project work together the two departments of the Engineering Area. In the current phase of the project, the Information Technologies Department will integrate the different developed systems in the previous phases and, that have been proved individually on the self-guided vehicle prototype.