SparkFun AVC 2014 Entry

May 08, 2014

This year I'm entering a vehicle into the SparkFun Autonomous Vehicle Competition. I've been to the event as a spectator before and it was a lot of fun. I don't think I have much of a chance of winning but it gives me a good incentive to work on a fun and challenging new project. The goal is to build an autonomous vehicle that can navigate a course without crashing into other vehicles or obstacles. The winner is the vehicle that completes the course in the fastest time.

IMG_20140508_205543093

My vehicle is called G-Force, which so far is turning out to be an ironic name as it's not that fast but I plan on fixing that later. The body is made from plywood and the main electronic components I'm using are:

  • Arduino Mega 2560
  • Adafruit Ultimate GPS
  • Sparkfun Magnetometer (compass)
  • Maxbotix Ultrasonic Sensors
  • Pololu MDA Motor Controller
  • Pololu 34:1 Metal Gear Motors
  • Wild Thumper Wheels

I'm still working on the software and hope to start testing this weekend. The competition is on June 21st so I have a decent amount of time to work on this.