Our main goal in the second phase of the project was to achieve basic autonomous operation of the UGV. In order to accomplish that, the following modifications and adjustments were made:
Improving the actuation mechanisms of the pedals and steering wheel
Building new and improved driving circuits
Designing and programming a new fuzzy controller for the speed control system
Building and designing a compact and improved embedded controlling unit
Improving power management using better batteries and inverters
Introducing a new processing unit responsible for navigation and intelligence
Writing a path planning program
Establishing communication between the intelligence and the sensor data acquisition units
Combining readings from the Laser Range Finder, GPS module, and electronic compass to construct a map of the UGV and its surroundings
Designing an improved GUI that accounts for the autonomous operation mode at the remote base station
Designing obstacle-avoidance and safety measures
Integrating the improved systems and ensuring flawless operation