Autonomous People Mover

Imagine parking your car at a large industrial complex, hoping into a people mover cart, instructing the driver where to go, then sitting back while the driver shuttles you off to your destination using the fastest route.Now imagine this same scenario, but with no driver: the cart is an autonomous vehicle.You speak, it obeys your commands.Self-driving, or autonomous cars are a hot research area for car manufacturers.By the mid-2020's, most agencies predict this new phenomenon will transform the automobile market.These cars will make our roadways safer, our environment cleaner, our roads less congested, and our lifestyles more efficient.Because of safety, manufacturing costs, and limitations of current technology, autonomous off-road vehicles, such as people movers in large industrial or academic institutions, will probably emerge before autonomous high-speed highway driving.A three year multidisciplinary capstone project is underway which will transform a golf cart into an autonomous people mover.In year one, the cart will be converted to remote control.In years two and three independent multidisciplinary senior design teams will enable the cart to drive autonomously in controlled and natural conditions respectively throughout the campus.The cart will include advanced sensing and vision technologies for navigation, and use advanced audio and vision technologies to communicate with passengers.This paper will describe several factors to consider when forming capstone engineering student design teams in academia, and then discuss specific issues when designing a large autonomous vehicle.Detailed design considerations and safety issues along with the actual steps and parts necessary to convert a golf cart into a remote controlled vehicle are covered.The paper will conclude with year two and three plans to convert the golf cart into a fully autonomous people mover and beyond.