Instrumented Bumper - More Details

The autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) on which the Instrumented Bumper is intended to mount is a Raptor off-road utility vehicle; however its modular design allows two bumpers to be installed on a HMMWV for use in development work on the autonomous vehicle.

Three sensing systems are integrated into the Instrumented Bumper; dual ultrasonic sensors, a commercial radar obstacle detection system and dual force sensors. The ultrasonic sensors allow determination of an obstacle's position in a Cartesian coordinate system in front of the bumper. The radar system provides longer range information about obstacles further in front of the bumper. A Control Unit monitors the three sensor systems and performs all calculations related to obstacle position and applied force. The Control Unit interfaces to the host system's navigational computer via a CAN bus using the MilCAN protocol. Through the CAN bus the host system is able to configure the bumper's operation as well as request and receive force and obstacle detection feedback.