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Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech's fleet of intelligent unmanned autonomous ground vehicles: Polaris, Gemini, and Johnny-5.
Polaris was designed during the 2004-2005 academic year and combines the unique two-body mobility platform of Gemini and the hybrid-electric power system of Johnny-5. Using the same sensor suite and system architecture techniques implmented on the previous two vehicles allows Polaris to integrate seamlessly into the family of intelligent gorund vehicles developed at Virginia Tech.
Polaris navigating the Autonomous Challenge course at the 13th Annual IGVC.
At the 2005 IGVC, Polaris earned 2nd place in the design competition as well as 2nd place in the Navigation Challenge and 3rd Place in the Autonomous Challenge. This solid all-around performance allowed Polaris to win 2nd Place in the overall standings.
Polaris amazes onlookers as it easily navigates through a tough barrel trap on the Autonomous Challenge course during a competition run.
Johnny-5 is a three wheeled, differentially driven, vehicle platform that was developed for the 2004 IGVC. Johnny-5 is driven by two brushless "smart" DC servo motors and has a hybrid power system that provides enough power for a runtime of more than 10 hours. Four sensors allow Johnny-5 to perceive the environment in which it operates and provides the input needed for autonomous navigation. These four sensors (digital camera, scanning laser range finder, digital compass, and differential global positioning system (GPS)), are integrated into a streamlined system architecture with a laptop serving as the computational core of the system. This system architecture is shared with its sibling vehicle Gemini, and allows for software to be transported between the two platforms.
Johnny-5 took home the 2004 IGVC grand prize of $10,000 dollars and was the first vehicle ever to complete the prestigious Autonomous Challenge course. Due to Johnny-5's incredible power train and efficient sensor implementation the vehicle was able to navigate the course at a breath taking 2.5 miles per hour, setting an autonomous challenge land speed record. Additionally, Johnny-5 won second place in the Navigation Challenge and Design Competitions.
Johnny-5 creators Andrew Bacha (left) and Brett Gombar (right) accept the BIG check for $10,000 for the 2004 IGVC.
Johnny-5 passing the money barrel at the 2004 IGVC during it's first competitve run. Passing the money barrel qualifies a vehicle for the $10,000 grand prize.
Johnny-5 navigating across the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia.
At the 2005 IGVC, Johnny-5 continued a success career by winning third place overall by taking second place in the Autonomous Challenge and third place in the Navigation Challenge. Improvements to the navigation software allowed Johnny-5 to navigate the Autonomous Challenge course at a top speed of 4.5 MPH.
In addition to participating in the IGVC, Johnny-5 has moved on to support unmanned research efforts at Virginia Tech and has proven to be a reliable and effective vehicle platform.
Gemini is a unique vehicle that captures the imaginations of all. Gemini is a novel, articulated, twin-body vehicle with excellent maneuverability and terrain following capabilities. The name Gemini reflects the “twin” bodies of the vehicle, inspired by the well-known constellation of the same name. Gemini was developed by the AVT for the 2004 IGVC and has proven to be the flagship autonomous vehicle at Virginia Tech. Sharing the same system architecture as Johnny-5, Gemini is a fully functional autonomous vehicle platform that has toured the country participating in demonstrations and exhibitions showcasing the abilities of the Autonomous Vehicle Team as Virginia Tech.
Gemini during field testing prior to the 2004 competition.
Innovation and attention to detail are the hallmarks of Gemini’s design. Gemini exemplifies an effort to develop a professional and stable research test bed that will serve as a solid foundation for current and future competitive design efforts. To this end, the overall vehicle design stresses safety, serviceability, ruggedness, and utility. These design objectives are achieved through innovative design features that have been implemented within the mechanical, electrical, and navigational systems onboard Gemini. These attributes allowed Gemini to take home the top design honors at the 2004 IGVC as well as place third in the Autonomous Challenge. Additionally, Gemini took home the third place overall award and contributed to the $12,200 won by AVT at the 2004 competition.
Gemini demonstrating the unique two degree-of-freedom joint that provides excellent terrain following ability
At the 2005 IGVC, Gemini returned to action and earned the $10,000 grand award. In addition, Gemini was the first vehicle ever to capture the top design honors for a second year in a row. Hardware and software improvements allowed Gemini to capture first place in both the Autonomous and Navigation Challenges.
For the official results and design reports of the 2004 IGVC competition please visit the IGVC website.