A Small-Scale Robot for Autonomous Driving: Design, Challenges, and Best Practices

TL;DR

This paper presents the design, challenges, and best practices for a one-sixth-scale autonomous vehicle platform, aiming to enhance testing and development of autonomous driving systems in a cost-effective manner.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the hardware, software, and challenges specific to small-scale autonomous vehicles, along with guidelines for improving their reliability and performance.

Findings

Identified common mechanical and electronic issues at small scale

Proposed solutions to enhance reliability and performance

Shared insights to promote further research in small-scale autonomous vehicles

Abstract

Small-scale autonomous vehicle platforms provide a cost-effective environment for developing and testing advanced driving systems. However, specific configurations within this scale are underrepresented, limiting full awareness of their potential. This paper focuses on a one-sixth-scale setup, offering a high-level overview of its design, hardware and software integration, and typical challenges encountered during development. We discuss methods for addressing mechanical and electronic issues common to this scale and propose guidelines for improving reliability and performance. By sharing these insights, we aim to expand the utility of small-scale vehicles for testing autonomous driving algorithms and to encourage further research in this domain.