Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Project Readiness Package
Project Title:
Autonomous People Mover – Sensors
Project Number:
(MSD will assign this)
P15242
Primary Customer:
(provide name, phone
number, and email)
Dr. Ray Ptucha
Sponsor(s):
(provide name, phone
number, email, and
amount of support)
Kodak Alaris
Harris Corp.
MSD ($2000)
Ptucha ($2550)
Preferred Start Term:
Spring 2015
Faculty Champion:
(provide name and
email)
Dr. Ray Ptucha, rwpeec@rit.edu
Other Support:
Clark Hochgraph (CAST)
Project Guide:
(MSD will assign this)
Kaemmerlen
Ptucha/DeBartolo/P15242
Prepared By
January 2015
Date
Received By
Date
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Jan 2015
Project Information
Overview:
It is no longer a question if self-driving cars will transform the automotive industry, but
when. Information Handling Services (IHS) Automotive, the world’s top automotive industry
forecaster, pegs this timeframe in the mid to late 2020’s. IHS Automotive predicts that the
number of self-driving cars will grow from 230,000 in the year 2025 to 11.8 million by the year
2030 to 54 million by the year 2035, to virtually all cars and trucks by the year 2050 [1]. Selfdriving cars will make our roadways safer, our environment cleaner, our roads less congested,
and our lifestyles more efficient [1-4]. Further, for each 10% of American cars that are
converted to full autonomy, the U.S. economy will save approximately $40B/year [4].
Commuters around the world eagerly anticipate the changing of laws to allow these vehicles to
take over our roadways. What started with cruise control, is now driver assist, will develop into
highway auto pilot, and finally into full autonomy. From the U.S. Department of Transportation
(USDOT), to the National Science Foundation (NSF), to large private grants, big money is
exchanging hands to develop this transformation. Google’s self-driving cars have already logged
over 500,000 miles. Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota,
Volkswagen, and Volvo are all working towards driverless vehicles [4].
Several universities have instituted autonomous driving projects, most inspired by the
DARPA Grand Challenges from 10 years ago. RIT had a brief participation with our own Grand
Challenge car called G-cart, but expensive sensors and the need for large corporate sponsorship
squeezed us out of the competition. Sensor costs for high speed driving are still very high, but
have since come down dramatically for low speed driving. The algorithms, including
localization, obstacle avoidance, and navigation, are very similar for high vs. low speed driving.
This proposal aims to allow RIT to re-enter the field of autonomous driving by converting a low
speed golf cart into an autonomous people mover. Specifically, the golf cart will be turned into a
remote control vehicle via a multi-disciplinary senior design (MSD) project. In subsequent
years, advanced research using state-of-the-art sensors and algorithms will teach the car how to
drive autonomously. It is envisioned this flagship project will help attract the brightest students
and serve as a platform for which they can perform world-class research. Ultimately, it is
anticipated this research will result in a multitude of publications, which will help secure an
influx of private and public grants.
RIT has declared transportation as one of the four key pillars to the new PhD in
Engineering program. This proposal sets out to create a vehicle to transport humans (under
controlled conditions) using wireless radio remote control at Imagine RIT in 2015. Follow-on
research will enable fully autonomous navigation on RIT paths within two years.
The project will excite students and media alike, and the ultimate goal is to secure
prestige, notoriety, and large grant money in this booming sector of the transportation industry.
As evidence of the money at stake, the USDOT Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century
Act provides $72M in each of 2013 and 2014. Further, late last year, the USDOT Research and
Innovative Technology Administration has appropriated another $63M to 33 University
Transportation Centers [5].
Project Goals:
As a follow-on to P15241, the goals of this project are to improve on several of the safety
features and to add capability of autonomous control over a closed course. In the area of safety,
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Jan 2015
the team will focus on obstacle detection and user override of the remote/autonomous control. In
the area of autonomous control, the team will develop a means to have the golf cart follow a preprogrammed course in a controlled environment, with the capability to respond to basic obstacles
that may present themselves.
P15241 Autonomous People Mover – Remote Control
http://edge.rit.edu/edge/P15241/public/Home
References:
[1] IHS Automotive, “Emerging Technologies: Autonomous Cars- Not If, But When,” IHS Automotive
study, http://press.ihs.com/press-release/automotive/self-driving-cars-moving-industrys-drivers-seat,
Jan 2, 2014.
[2] Tannert, Chuck. “Will You Ever be Able to Afford a self-Driving Car?,” www.fastcompany.com,
2014.
[3] Petri, Tom, US Chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit- Hearing on “How
Autonomous Vehicles will Shape the Future of Surface Transportation,” Nov 19, 2013.
[4] 2nd Annual Willaim P. Eno Paper, “Preparing a Nation for Autonomous Vehicles”, 2013.
[5] U.S. Department of Transportaiton Awards $63 Million in University Transportation Cener Grants,
http://www.rita.dot.gov/utc/press_releases/utc01_13, 2013.
Customer Requirements (CR):
This list of customer requirements is based on the Phase I team’s anticipated activities. Yellow
boxes indicate areas where the Phase II team will continue to make progress, but not complete
the CR. Green boxes indicate areas where the Phase II team will complete work on that
particular CR. Gray boxes indicate areas where the Phase I team completed the required work
already.
CR #
Imp.
Customer Need
CR1
9
Self Steering
CR2
9
Able to drive forward and reverse
CR3
9
CR4
9
CR5
CR6
CR7
9
9
9
Communicates speed
Focused on passenger and bystander
safety
Controller can stop cart remotely
Passenger can stop cart with brake
Cart will stop out of range
CR8
9
Moves when controlled remotely
CR9
9
CR10
9
Allows the passenger to take over
steering
Robust
CR11
9
Ready for Imagine RIT 2015
CR12
CR13
9
6
Within budget
Able to communicate GPS location
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Description
Communicates wheel position & steers under
program control
Accelerates/decelerates under program
control
Communicates speed to control system
Additional safety systems primary with cart
Stops with software and remote control
NO CHANGE
NO CHANGE
Moves autonomously over closed course
(controlled environment)
Detects when passenger takes control to
ignore remote control
NO CHANGE
Any work done by Phase II team doesn’t
impact Phase I team’s preparations for
Imagine RIT
$2000 between years 2 & 3
Shows GPS location on map for demos
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Jan 2015
CR #
Imp.
CR14
6
CR15
6
Customer Need
Protects passengers from impact of
rapid braking
Indicates driving mode
CR16
6
Weatherproof
CR17
CR18
CR19
CR20
CRF1
3
3
3
3
Clear documentation
Simple design
Space for future projects
Holds 2 Passengers
All-Weather Driving
Able to identify surroundings to avoid
collision
CRF2
CRF3
Noticeable Appearance
Description
NO CHANGE
NO CHANGE
Electronics and cart can survive heavy rain,
soaking
Clear documentation for later years
NO CHANGE
NO CHANGE
NO CHANGE
Drives on wet roads
Identifies surroundings to avoid collision
Looks different from other golf carts (audible
beep and visible strobe)
Engineering Requirements (ER):
In addition to team P15241 ER’s, which should be preserved unless otherwise noted…
1. # Driving modes: 3 (increased from 2 to include autonomous driving)
2. Data communicated to user: speed, wheel position, GPS location
3. Time to recognize user override of remote or autonomous controls: 0.5 sec (minimize)
4. % Obstacles identified (target: 100% within 2 ft; 95% within 10 ft)
5. % Identified obstacles successfully avoided (target: 100%)
6. Waterproof electronics enclosure(s): meets or exceeds NEMA 4 or IPX4
7. Distance to stop if collision is imminent: <3 in
8. Capabilities to successfully demonstrate on closed course in autonomous mode: start/stop,
avoid standing obstacle, respond to surface height change (e.g., curb), turn to reach
destination, forward and reverse driving
Constraints:
Team will be working in parallel with P15241 and should coordinate any work on the golf cart
through that team (point of contact TBD). In case of conflict, P15241 will have priority.
Project Deliverables:
Minimum requirements:
 All design documents (e.g., concepts, analysis, detailed drawings/schematics, BOM, test
results)
 working prototype
 technical paper
 poster
Additional required deliverables:
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Jan 2015

List here, if applicable
Budget Information:
Equipment : Hokuyo UTM-30LX-EW scanning laser rangefinder
Purpose/Justification: This sensor can see from 0.1mm to 30m at 40Hz. This sensor will
be used to ensure the wheelchair does not bump into any still or moving objects
Amount: $5200
Intellectual Property:
There are no IP restrictions on this project
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Jan 2015
Project Resources
Required Resources (besides student staffing):
Describe the resources necessary for successful project completion. When the resource is
secured, the responsible person should initial and date to acknowledge that they have agreed to
provide this support. We assume that all teams with ME/ISE students will have access to the ME
Machine Shop and all teams with EE students will have access to the EE Senior Design Lab, so
it is not necessary to list these! Limit this list to specialized expertise, space, equipment, and
materials
Faculty list individuals and their area of expertise (people who can provide
specialized knowledge unique to your project, e.g., faculty you will need to consult for
more than a basic technical question during office hours)
Clark Hochgraph
Environment (e.g., a specific lab with specialized equipment/facilities, space for very
large or oily/greasy projects, space for projects that generate airborne debris or
hazardous gases, specific electrical requirements such as 3-phase power)
Access to current project and team members. P15241 has priority access to the golf
cart and this team should work through them during spring 2145 for access to the car.
Equipment (specific computing, test, measurement, or construction equipment that
the team will need to borrow, e.g., CMM, SEM, )
Initial/
date
RP
Initial/
date
Initial/
date
Materials (materials that will be consumed during the course of the project, e.g., test
samples from customer, specialized raw material for construction, chemicals that must
be purchased and stored)
Initial/
date
Other
Engineering support from Alex Sojda, D3 Engineering, Henrietta, NY
Initial/
date
RP
Anticipated Staffing By Discipline:
Indicate the requested staffing for each discipline, along with a brief explanation of the
associated activities. “Other” includes students from any department on campus besides those
explicitly listed. For example, we have done projects with students from Industrial Design,
Business, Software Engineering, Civil Engineering Technology, and Information Technology. If
you have recruited students to work on this project (including student-initiated projects),
include their names here, as well!
Disc.
CE
# Req.
2
EE
2
ISE
1
Expected Activities
Communication between car and user control panel: e.g., speed, wheel
position, and GPS location . Software/navigation algorithms
Sensor selection and integration with car, controls, signal processing,
Software/navigation algorithms
Systems engineering, interface considerations between parallel teams
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Jan 2015
ME
1
Sensor selection and integration with car. Adaptations to current drive-bywire system as required, controls
Skills Checklist:
Indicate the sills or knowledge that will be needed by students working on this project. Please
use the following scale:
1=must have
2=helpful, but not essential
3=either a very small part of the project, or relates to a “bonus” feature
blank = not applicable to this project
Mechanical Engineering
2
2
1
ME Core Knowledge
3D CAD
Matlab programming
Basic machining
2D stress analysis
2D static/dynamic analysis
Thermodynamics
Fluid dynamics (CV)
LabView
Statistics
2
2
1
ME Elective Knowledge
Finite element analysis
Heat transfer
Modeling of electromechanical & fluid systems
Fatigue and static failure criteria
Machine elements
Aerodynamics
Computational fluid dynamics
Biomaterials
Vibrations
IC Engines
GD&T
Linear Controls
Composites
Robotics
Other (specify)
Electrical Engineering
1
2
2
2
1
EE Core Knowledge
Circuit Design (AC/DC converters, regulators,
amplifies, analog filter design, FPGA logic design,
sensor bias/support circuitry)
Power systems: selection, analysis, power budget
System analysis: frequency analysis (Fourier,
Laplace), stability, PID controllers, modulation
schemes, VCO’s & mixers, ADC selection
Circuit build, test, debug (scope, DMM, function
generator
Board layout
Matlab
PSpice
Programming: C, Assembly
Electromagnetics: shielding, interference
EE Elective Knowledge
Digital filter design and implementation
Digital signal processing
1
2
3
1
Microcontroller selection/application
Wireless: communication protocol, component
selection
Antenna selection (simple design)
Communication system front end design
Algorithm design/simulation
Embedded software design/implementation
Other (specify)
Industrial & Systems Engineering
ISE Core Knowledge
Statistical analysis of data: regression
Materials science
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
1
ISE Elective Knowledge
Design of Experiment
Systems design – product/process design
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Jan 2015
2
1
ISE Core Knowledge
Materials processing, machining lab
Facilities planning: layout, mat’l handling
Production systems design: cycle time, throughput,
assembly line design, manufacturing process
design
Ergonomics: interface of people and equipment
(procedures, training, maintenance)
Math modeling: OR (linear programming,
simulation)
Project management
Engineering economy: Return on Investment
Quality tools: SPC
Production control: scheduling
Shop floor IE: methods, time studies
Computer tools: Excel, Access, AutoCAD
Programming (C++)
ISE Elective Knowledge
Data analysis, data mining
Manufacturing engineering
DFx: manufacturing, assembly, environment,
sustainability
Rapid prototyping
2
Safety engineering
Other (specify)
Biomedical Engineering
BME Core Knowledge
Matlab
Aseptic lab techniques
Gel electrophoresis
Linear signal analysis and processing
Fluid mechanics
Biomaterials
Labview
Simulation (Simulink)
System physiology
Biosystems process analysis (mass, energy
balance)
Cell culture
Computer-based data acquisition
Probability & statistics
Numerical & statistical analysis
Biomechanics
Design of biomedical devices
BME Elective Knowledge
Medical image processing
COMSOL software modeling
Medical visualization software
Biomaterial testing/evaluation
Tissue culture
Advanced microscopy
Microfluidic device fabrication and measurement
Other (specify)
Computer Engineering
3
1
1
2
2
1
CE Core Knowledge
Digital design (including HDL and FPGA)
Software for microcontrollers (including Linux
and Windows)
Device programming (Assembly, C)
Programming: Python, Java, C++
Basic analog design
Scientific computing (including C and Matlab)
Signal processing
Interfacing transducers and actuators to
microcontrollers
2
CE Elective Knowledge
Networking & network protocols
3
Wireless networks
2
Robotics (guidance, navigation, vision, machine
learning, control)
Concurrent and embedded software
Embedded and real-time systems
Digital image processing
Computer vision
2
Network security
1
2
Other (specify)
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Jan 2015
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Jan 2015