Electronic Steering and Braking

Mechanical Design of Control Solution for autonomous evGo-Kart

Winter 2022 MAE156B Sponsored Project

Sponsored by: Dr. Jack Silberman, Triton AI

Our Go-Kart:

The go-kart chassis that we are working around is provided by Top Kart USA, a design that is standardized for the competition we are preparing for. The go-kart chassis introduces a physical challenge in fitting an actuator system in order to control the steering and braking control. The steering design in the chassis is an Ackerman system that utilizes 120 degrees of steering wheel input to turn the kart. The braking system involves a master cylinder that creates brake pressure for the brake caliper on the rear axle.

Project Group Members: Genesis Jimenez, Haojun Zhang, Ivan Rodionov, Yikai Huang

Sponsor: Dr. Jack Silberman

Background and Inspiration:

Go-karting is a popular activity in the United States, with almost 35 million people participating each year. This sport has sparked a lot of interest, particularly among young engineers and novice drivers. This project is a great opportunity for students to have in-depth knowledge about automobiles and automation which is one of the most important industries in the world.

Project objective

Triton-AI Racing Team + Team 7:

Develop and manufacture hybrid mobile vehicle ( computer control + human override) racing at the 2022 EV Grand Prix held at Purdue University on May 19-21.

Team 7 :

Design, source, and install braking and steering systems for an autonomous go-kart that accepts computer inputs while allowing the human driver to override the mechanisms by pushing the manual control or Emergency off (EMO) button.

More about Triton AI:

Triton AI is a student-run organization on UC San Diego Campus that focuses on developing and modifying scale cars for autonomous control and competing with their vehicles in competitions around the US. The EV Go-Kart division of the student organization is working on developing a go-kart for the upcoming race at Purdue University in May of 2022. The race will test the team's ability to navigate the track outlined by cones autonomously and judge the team's implementation of performing systems.

Final design

Executive Summary: ,pdf, doc

Braking Design

In the final brake mount solution design the linear actuator was mounted atop the master cylinder in a custom machined mount comprised of aluminum sheet. The design went through multiple iterations before settling on this simple to manufacture and reproducible design.

Steering Design

The steering solution included a BLDC motor, gear-box, and pulley system for power delivery to the steering shaft of the go-kart. The motor provided the necessary power to move the steering shaft reliably and quickly. The gearbox amplified the torque of the motor bringing it up to the determined torque required to move the wheels at a stand-still. Lastly, the pulley system provided a mechanical transmission of power for steering.