Autonomous vehicle using WADGPS

Global Positioning System (GPS) is not accurate enough for ground vehicle automation. Wide Area Differential GPS (WADGPS) offers a robust system that readily deals with selective availability (SA) errors, ephemeris errors and satellite clock errors. An error level of decimeter/centimeter is guaranteed, which satisfies the ground vehicle control algorithm. This paper deals with a highly responsive digital computer control system algorithm for automatic vehicles. These algorithms are tested using a 6-d.o.f. simulation. The simulation includes autonomous vehicle embedded software (AVES) and vehicle environment model (VEM). The AVES includes guidance, navigation, Kalman Filter and mission handling algorithms, whereas the VEM includes the GPS and the physical models. Human intervention is eliminated by implementing reliable sensors and actuators. The concept of WADGPS is incorporated, making the overall performance congestion- and collision-free and cost-effective. The models for GPS aiding sensors are also included. A commuter simply feeds his/her destination into a dash-board computer. Highly sensitive actuators simulate human driver, and direct the vehicle on to the road. Its transmitter broadcasts its position and velocity to other immediate participants for collision avoidance and lane-changing