PARV: A 3D Printed Autonomous Robotic Vehicle Platform

Dandekar, Rajkumar S.; Stultz, Eric R.; Gordon, Steven C.; Czuba, Dexter A.

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PARV: A 3D Printed Autonomous Robotic Vehicle Platform

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In recent years, there has been a rising demand for autonomous vehicles. Autonomous vehicles have countless uses ranging from transporting people and cargo to completing tasks which are dangerous to humans. Current vehicles are often solutions for a singular problem in the diverse list of autonomous vehicle needs. Events like the COVID-19 pandemic have shown how easily the world can change. Within a span of weeks, employers had to shift to remote work, and companies had to adapt their procedures to reduce contact between people. Autonomous vehicles can help aid in these issues in a variety of ways, such as allowing people to interact or work with each other remotely, or providing a method of supply or tool transport that does not require human touch, preventing the spread of germs. Even without a pandemic, there is still a need for autonomous vehicles. Many tasks, such as package delivery and trash collection, can easily be accomplished by robotic vehicles, and as such can improve the efficiency of package services and prevent excess pollution. Other tasks, such as chemical treatment or environmental surveys, can be hazardous to humans, and having a modular platform to install and program tools such as robotic arms can make accomplishing these tasks safer. As such, a reliable, modular platform that can easily be assembled and operated for various tasks would be extremely helpful. Various consumer options exist on the market for delivery vehicles or scientific rovers, but very few if any are open-sourced, or easily manufactured and adapted by the user. The availability of open-sourced systems would also greatly aid research and development of such autonomous systems and will be valuable in the education field. In order to achieve these goals, we have developed PARV, a 3D Printed Autonomous Robotic Vehicle that can be used as a modular multi-purpose platform. This vehicle is designed to be mostly 3D printed, increasing the modularity of the system, as you can create custom pieces for the platform. Furthermore, 3D printing allows repairing and increased accessibility for research and commercial applications. PARV includes various subsystems such as a 3D printed transfer case gearbox, suspension, steering, and limited slip differential systems. One of the key goals of our car was to develop a 4WD system. This 4WD system would allow the vehicle to travel over any type of terrain, such as in treacherous or non-urban environments (grass, dirt, rocks). In addition, we have also developed a motorized trailer system that can be used in conjunction with our car to carry large payloads or additional tool systems. A commercially available robotic arm was also integrated to demonstrate the modularity and flexibility of PARV as a platform system. All components and models were made using SolidWorks. We have also utilized ANSYS and Matlab to test the strength and longevity of many of our components. Our ANSYS testing primarily was used to test the strength of 3D printed gears, while we also calculated the bending and shear stress on the teeth. These tests showed us that printing the gears in NylonX will be sufficient for the forces they experience. Power loss and transfer throughout the car was simulated with the help of Matlab; this aided our decisions of gear ratios within the differential. The assembled car was then tested on predetermined paths around our campus which best represent obstacles the car could encounter. PARV’s modularity also allowed us to integrate an array of sensors to enable autonomous driving. The autonomous driving package included a range of sensors, power sources, and microchips that were all installed onto the vehicle. PARV has also been tested outside on a variety of challenging obstacles including steep hills, rocks, and tall grass. The results from testing are very promising and reflect PARV’s ability to handle rough terrain.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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