Driving autonomously off-road up to 35 km/h

Abstract

A robotic highly mobile multipurpose wheeled vehicle drives autonomously off-road at speeds up to 35 km/h (10 m/s, 20 mph). The key features of the implementation that enable the vehicle driving at these speeds are: 1) planning the next 20 m with dynamically feasible trajectories; and 2) increasing the lateral clearance to obstacles at higher speeds. Clothoid trajectories are used in planning the vehicle's immediate path. The speed-indexed clearance requirement improves the safety margin for the vehicle over a range of speeds while retaining the ability to maneuver in close quarters when necessary.