CONNECTED CAR

What is it?

The Connected Car is a vehicle model with scale 1:8. Three models exist at three AKKA subsidiaries in Germany. This platform is used to implement and test autonomous driving features.

Objective & context

In three of AKKA Germany subsidiaries (Cologne, Ingolstadt and Munich) similar model vehicles are maintained and developed. Each vehicle has a scale of 1:8 and is equipped with similar sensors. Even though there are slight differences between the different hardware platforms a software architecture is set up that enables easy exchange of different modules.

Within this project different autonomous driving functionalities are and will be implemented. The aim is to improve the knowledge of the team members and create future development opportunities. Furthermore, another goal is to improve the sharing of information amongst the different AKKA locations.

We are optimistic that our vehicles will be able to interact with each other and to react to each other’s actions within one or two years.

Realizations

Necessary basic functions, which are right now implemented, are:

• Network Communication (Wifi, Bluetooth, Serial Interface, I2C)
• Sensorfusion
• Mapping (hector, gmapping)
• Localization (SLAM)
• Interaction with surrounding environment
• Path planning (decision tree, Dijkstra, parking algorithm, Point2Point)
• Position Control (lateral control, longitudinal control

Added value & customer benefits

• Improves known algorithms
• Discover weak points of implementations
• Build up new knowledge in autonomous driving functionalities