Publication

Autonomy Artificial Intelligence Robotics (AAIR)
2022

GPS-INDEPENDENT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE CONVOYING WITH UWB RANGING AND VEHICLE MODELS

by Kyle Thompson; Ben Jones; Scott Martin; David Bevly

Abstract

Leader-follower autonomous vehicle systems have a vast range of applications which can increase efficiency, reliability, and safety by only requiring one manned-vehicle to lead a fleet of unmanned followers. The proper estimation and duplication of a manned-vehicle’s path is a critical component of the ongoing development of convoying systems. Auburn University’s GAVLAB has developed a UWB-ranging based leader-follower GNC system which does not require an external GPS reference or communication between the vehicles in the convoy. Experimental results have shown path-duplication accuracy between 1-5 meters for following distances of 10 to 50 meters.