Embedded motion control for an intelligent vehicle

The project

Our team developed a four-wheel vehicle for the Intelligent Vision Category of the 18th National University Students Intelligent Car Competition. A high-mounted, downward-facing camera recognised picture cards on the floor, and an arm with an electromagnet picked up and sorted the cards.

I worked on the vehicle’s physical platform and control software, connecting custom electronics and mechanical design with inertial navigation, steering and motor-speed control.

My contribution

• Electronics. Designed the main-control and motor-driver circuits and PCBs using Altium Designer.
• Mechanics. Designed the vehicle’s mechanical structure in SolidWorks and coordinated its integration with the electronics.
• Software framework. Built the initial C/C++ framework and overall vehicle motion-control logic.
• Feedback control. Implemented inertial navigation, steering PID and motor-speed PID control on the NXP RT1064.
• System integration. Integrated and debugged the motion-control side within the complete vehicle, bringing navigation, control, electronics and mechanics together.

From sensing to vehicle motion

The RT1064 is the main embedded controller, using an ARM Cortex-M7 core at 600 MHz. Inertial information supports navigation, and steering and speed PID controllers translate motion commands into actuator behaviour. The custom PCBs and mechanical structure connect the software to the vehicle’s motors and steering hardware.

The team’s visual-perception module supplies inputs to the navigation and control chain.

Competition outcome

The vehicle received Third Prize in the Intelligent Vision Category of the Anhui Regional Competition in 2023. The project ran from November 2022 to August 2023.