Level 4 commercial autonomous vehicle control system transition to an open-source solution

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel approach for transferring the entire set of low-level control systems from one robot bus, i.e., an autonomous vehicle (AV) shuttle, to another with distinct electronics and mechanical specifications. The research entails a series of experiments to assess the reliability and safety of the AV shuttle after integrating the critical control systems responsible for steering, accelerating, and braking into the target shuttle. The ultimate goal is to meet the necessary requirements for registering the target AV shuttle as a legal vehicle on the roads in Estonia. Consequently, several crucial tests of the shuttle’s low-level control system were conducted, e.g., intentionally disconnecting different subsystems to simulate sudden failures and evaluate whether the shuttle responds in accordance with the appropriate protocols. As a case study, the upgraded autonomous shuttle was tested on the streets of Tallinn. The most relevant findings are introduced in the second part of this paper. The outcomes of the study demonstrate the feasibility of seamlessly transferring low-level control systems between various models of autonomous shuttles, eliminating the risk of encountering safety or reliability issues.