Unified Intelligent Motion Planning and Control Scheme for Omni-Directional Vehicles

The computer study from the Phase I SBIR demonstrated that an Omni-Directional Vehicle (ODV) with an Intelligent Motion Planning (IMP) scheme and a combination of ackerman & parallel steering capabilities can readily maneuver in constricted areas. The ODV with IMP can navigate tight spots around obstacles indoors and outdoors saving energy and time. The smart ODV prototype will be built in Phase II, to demonstrate the usefulness of the omni-direction maneuverability of the vehicle. The objective is to investigate the practical feasibility of the IMP concepts proposed in Phase I, and conduct a live demonstration of its applications. Demonstration scenarios will include autonomous ODV maneuvers from indoor to outdoor locations and vice versa, maneuvers around tight spots inside a building, and around a confined area in outdoor terrain. The demonstration will show the potential applications for indoor-outdoor surveillance, deliveries, lift trucks, lawn mowing and facility maintenance. Self-Guided Systems, LLC has already expressed interest in employing an ODV with IMP as an autonomous lawn service vehicle or security robot. There are other uses as mentioned above that will be investigated in Phase II so that there will be a strong potential leading to the future commercialization of the ODV with IMP.