ZytleBot: FPGA Integrated Development Platform for ROS Based Autonomous Mobile Robot

Abstract

ZytleBot is an autonomous driving robot with an FPGA-integrated development platform that uses the Xilinx programmable system-on-chip (SoC). ZytleBot can run a course, turn right/left at intersections, avoid obstacles, detect traffic signals, and stop. All judgments and calculations necessary for driving are performed on the embedded system mounted on the robot. In ZytleBot, the main autonomous driving system uses the Robot Operating System (ROS) running on a CPU, and high-load processing is offloaded to the FPGA to enable real-time operation. The FPGA preprocesses road surface images acquired from the camera and detects traffic signals. We demonstrate the running of ZytleBot on a miniature course to win the FPT'18 FPGA design competition 1. We also provide ZytleBot as a platform for the efficient development of FPGA-integrated ROS robots.