Abstract
M.Ing.
This thesis deals with the modelling and control of an autonomous four-wheeled car-like
vehicle. The autonomous vehicle is built on the chassis of a Tamiya TXT-1, one-tenth
scale, off-road remote control truck. The simplified kinematic and dynamic models of
this vehicle are derived for the purposes of control. These models are converted to a
suitable form and control laws are then developed to perform set-point control as well as
path following. A sonar array is constructed to permit the vehicle to sense its surroundings
and construct a map of an unknown environment as it navigates through it. Lastly
the Vector Field Histogram (VFH) obstacle avoidance algorithm is implemented and
used to guide the vehicle through a sparsely populated environment without colliding
with the obstacles.