Project D.R.C(Driverless Rocket Car)

Presented By: Jorge RodriguezDate: 12/11/19

AE-457

● Autonomous driving is very expensive and hard to do research on a student budget

● Autonomous RC cars/ racing is still quite expensive and complicated when using Lidar or

cameras to operate

● Autonomous RC racing is still slow and clumsy

● The barrier for entry on a student level is far too high without financial support

The Problem

My Proposal● A driverless rocket powered RC racing car

○ IMU is used to correct steering for straight line corrections

○ Model rocket engine will violently propel the RC car forward

● IMU and aerodynamic body will keep the RC car planted to the floor in an attempt to control

the rocket for fast self-steering racing

● Can operate anywhere

● A focus on low cost and development skill means that students with little funding or

experience can enter the world of autonomy

● Can brake when needed using remote control

● Fully functional RC car without rockets

Current Solutions (And Limits)Navigation

● Solo IMU navigation (Preferred):

○ Low Power

○ Low Cost

○ Can operate anywhere without self-learning

○ Tendency to drift over extended period of

time

● Lidar/ Camera navigation (Alternative):

○ Commonly used for autonomous driving

and racing

○ High CPU consumption

○ Very expensive

Motor

● Rocket Motor (Preferred):

○ Inexpensive for high speeds

○ Can be bought in bundles

○ Restricted to straight line

○ Lack of information

● Electric Motor (Alternative) :

○ Most common use for RC cars

○ Abundant information

○ Easily Controllable

○ Very expensive for high speeds

Why should I consider other solutions?

● Lidar and camera based navigation systems are popular areas of research for autonomous

driving and racing

○ Algorithm based driving used to navigate most autonomous vehicles

● Electric motors are the most popular form of racing for autonomous vehicles as they come

readily equipped with most 1/10 scale RC cars

○ Simple to use and control throttle

○ Easy to control

Project Goals

● This project seeks to create a self-steering, rocket powered, RC car platform for entry level

students to experiment with IMU based steering, mechanical and aerodynamic design

● CAD design for pre-planning of electronics placement and body design for aerodynamic flow

● Receive and store steering data during launches to compare multiple runs

● Safely stop the car during launch in the event of misguided direction

Requirement Specifications

Design Assumptions● I must assume that there will be ample amount of rockets and electronics available to me during

testing as I am sure components will be damaged during rocket testing

● I must assume that I can learn how to make the steering servo respond to the readings given by the

IMU

● I must assume that I can learn or receive assistance in learning advanced C programming in a few short

months

● I must assume that I will have a budget ready for my final components list

● I must assume that I will have a test bed (open strip) for when I need to test the RC car

○ The car will be loud and may disturb residents if launched on Capitol property

● While I would like to construct my own body from scratch, I must assume that I will use the body

provided from the chosen RC car kit and build aerodynamic parts to create downforce onto the vehicle

● I must assume that I can even high downforce wings will function when scaled down

● Will use A to D class rockets for propulsion

● Core controller will be an arduino

● Roughly 2-3 pounds when fully built

● Use in conjunction with an IMU

Constraints● Full build (frame, electronics, programs) must cost less than $500

● Must be able to be built over a several weekends

● Steady cash flow will be restricted as I am currently earning $80 a week from a part time job

and struggling to find another higher paying position

● Frame could possibly not handle the impact of crashing and damaging the frame or electronics

● My knowledge of C programming and electronics is quite lacking

● My knowledge in aerodynamic design is lacking

● Must minimize weight and maximize road control

● Must maximize downforce

● Servo must be able to respond fast enough corrective steering

My Experience/ Skills

● MDSGC Writing Intern

○ No technical experience

○ Observed CACTUS-1 design and history

● BitCamp 2019

○ Limited CAD design

● Basic soldering skills

● Some experience with C, C++ and Python

● Some experience with CAD

Concerns

● I have never worked with rockets before

● I have never attempted to code something that moves automatically so rapidly

● I have never built a project from the ground up over the course of multiple weeks

● I am not sure how to simulate this project in a program to save some time and money for

launches

Project Budget and Supports

Project Budget and Supports Cont.

Initial Project Schedule

Initial Project Schedule Cont.

Bibliography/ Literature ReviewKegelman, J., Harbott, L., Gerdes, J. (2016). Insights into Vehicle Trajectories at the Handling Limits: Analyzing Open Data from Race Car

Drivers. Vehicle System Dynamics, 55:2, 191-207

Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/00423114.2016.1249893

Mckay, N., & Gopalarathnam, A. (2002). The Effects of Wing Aerodynamics on Race Vehicle Performance. SAE Transactions,111, 2254-2263.

Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/44719409

T.Schönberg,M.Ojala, J.Suomela, A.Torpo, A.Halme (1995). Positioning an Autonomous Off-Road Vehicle by Using Fused DGPS and Inertial

Navigation. IFAC Proceedings Volumes, 28:11, 211-216 Retrieve from https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-6670(17)46974-6

Teschler, L. (2018). Inertial Measurement Unit Will Keep Self-Driving Cars on Track. Microcontroller Tips, Retrieve from

https://www.microcontrollertips.com/inertial-measurement-units-will-keep-self-driving-cars-on-track-faq/

MPU-6050 6dof IMU tutorial for auto-leveling quadcopters with Arduino source code

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BoIE8YQwM8

Build an Electronic Level with MPU-6050 and Arduino

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCyRXMvVSCw

Project D.R.C(Driverless Rocket Car)

Presented By: Jorge RodriguezDate: 12/11/19

AE-457

Questions??