Title: Simulation-based acceptance testing for unmanned ground vehicles

Authors: Amir Sadrpour; Jionghua Jin; A. Galip Ulsoy; Hyo Jong Lee

Addresses: Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, The University of Michigan, 1205 Beal Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2117, USA ' Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, The University of Michigan, 2855 IOE Building, 1205 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2117, USA ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Michigan, 2266 G.G. Brown Building, 2350 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2125, USA ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, MS in Mechanical Engineering from University of Michigan, 107-1401 SongnimMaeul Apt., Hagi-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-759, South Korea

Abstract: Performing physical acceptance tests of an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) can be expensive and time-consuming. This paper discusses simulation-based acceptance testing and failure analysis for UGVs. Both dynamic and static simulation models are developed. A systematic statistical testing approach is presented to quantitatively assess when a simple static simulation model can be used to approximate a complex dynamic simulation. Results show that a static simulation can be used to determine the required joint motor torques under slow operation speeds. It also shows that a dynamic simulation model is needed to determine the maximum allowable moving speeds for UGVs to safely operate on roads with various levels of roughness and bumpiness.

Keywords: acceptance testing; UGV; unmanned ground vehicles; dynamic simulation; statistical hypothesis tests; autonomous vehicles; joint motor torques; vehicle safety; road surfaces; surface roughness; surface bumpiness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVAS.2013.052274

International Journal of Vehicle Autonomous Systems, 2013 Vol.11 No.1, pp.62 - 85

Received: 08 Feb 2011
Accepted: 05 Aug 2011
Published online: 30 Sep 2014 *