Autonomous Vehicle Systems (AVS) Laboratory

Over the last decade a renewed emphasis has been placed on developing new classes of autonomous, unmanned vehicles. For example, autonomous free-flying robotic assistants are envisioned that could assist astronauts in space or perform routine monitoring tasks. Or, unmanned aerial vehicles are being developed that are to refuel in-air autonomously, providing essentially infinite air time.

The Autonomous Vehicle Systems (AVS) laboratory aims to develop hardware and software simulation environments to design, develop and test relative motion sensing technologies and control solutions. Currently we are developing an unmanned ground vehicle test bed in coorporation with Sandia National Laboratories to research visual ground vehicle tracking methods. Autonomous vehicles are to mimic the planar motion of other ground vehicles, spacecraft, or aircraft. This provides sensor hardware with realistic relative motion in indoor and outdoor settings.