Background
Autonomous vehicles are a growing area of technology development, particularly with the advancement of AI, clean energy conversion, and software/hardware capabilities. Autonomous vehicles are still primarily in the testing phase of development, as functional safety is a top concern before full deployment occurs. However, current methods of testing often occur in a real-road environment, which poses safety hazards and restricts maneuverability, in addition to being very expensive. There is a need for more cost-effective and comprehensive methods of testing for autonomous vehicles.
Invention Description
Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a lateral motion control hardware and software that can be integrated into an existing longitudinal motion-only chassis dynamometer. This technology adds an extra axis of motion to the rotational motion of the four rollers of the vehicle testbed by allowing the rollers to rotate independently around the vertical axis of motion. This technology also uses a high-accuracy direct-drive rotary motor that connects directly to a rotational plate to allow for precise motion control. This provides a solution to assess strategic mobility plans informed of complex dynamics in autonomous vehicles.
Potential Applications:
- Enhancing current vehicle testbed capabilities
- Improving maneuverability for autonomous vehicle testing
Benefits and Advantages:
- Less expensive method of testing
- Improved data collection on safety & functionality
- Enables creation of strategic mobility plans informed of complex dynamics
- High accuracy evaluation capabilities