With precise and robust position, navigation and time (PNT) solutions, autonomy is the natural next step of machine control. But it’s a step across a technological gap that robotic manufacturers may not be ready to cross.
Through collaboration between Hexagon | NovAtel and Hexagon | AutonomouStuff, they’ve developed sensing and positioning kits that accelerate autonomous development. Their decades of expertise in GNSS positioning, autonomy and safety-critical applications ensured these perception and sensing kits provide developers with the technology to bring assured positioning to off-road autonomy.
Building off-road autonomy
The autonomous tractor from NovAtel and AutonomouStuff demonstrates how perception and sensing kits bridge development gaps for off-road autonomy solutions and applications.
(Photo: NovAtel)
Within the automotive space, autonomy has clearly defined expectations and safety standards. Off the road, however, definitions like lane-level accuracy need to be adapted. The manufacturers or OEMs working “in the field” know what expectations an autonomous solution must meet to best serve their unique application needs, but they may lack the expertise to fully develop the solution.
NovAtel and AutonomouStuff have sharpened their knowledge in sensor fusion and positioning over the last 15 years. Their new sensing and perception kits allow manufacturers to integrate that expertise into their own autonomous solution development, bridging that knowledge gap.
By combining proven GNSS technology, precise positioning sensors and a sensor fusion computing platform into customized development kits, successful autonomous development has never been closer. Whether the solution is developed for survey and mapping, defense, or aviation, these perception and sensing kits adapt to deliver autonomy to any off-road application.
The Autonomous Tractor: Demonstrating sensing and perception kits from NovAtel and AutonomouStuff
To validate the kits in delivering off-road autonomous solutions, NovAtel and AutonomouStuff built an autonomous tractor. This tractor was outfitted with LiDAR and other RADAR technology, cameras for photogrammetry, GNSS and inertial navigation sensors for a precise and accurate positioning system, and a powerful computing platform combining sensor readings into reliable environmental and situation awareness.
The development kits from NovAtel and AutonomouStuff enable relative localization, vision processing, drive by-wire and time synchronization capabilities for a precise, safe and autonomous solution. Though optimized for agriculture, the tractor validates the ability of these kits to accelerate autonomous development in any industry for any application.
See how the sensing and positioning technologies interact to deliver an autonomous solution in this 3D virtual tractor tour from NovAtel.
NovAtel’s sensing and perception kits are adaptable for any platform to serve application needs across industries, bridging development gaps to off-road autonomy. (Photo: NovAtel)
Positioning sensors for a holistic autonomous solution
While the sensing and perception kits each solve a different development roadblock in an autonomous solution, they were all conceptualized around four main goals: sensing, positioning, safety and automation. The sensors within the kits can be configured to prioritize one or more of these goals.
If a development team’s roadblock or goal requires a customized version of these kits, NovAtel offers consultation services to help determine what technology, sensors and configuration will work best for your solution’s application.
Autonomy Development Kits
NovAtel’s sensing and perception kits solve development roadblocks in autonomous solutions. Combining proven GNSS technology, precise positioning sensors and a sensor fusion computing platform allow their kits to bridge different knowledge gaps in achieving autonomy:
Vision Application Starter Kit
Enables perception development for object classification libraries to improve detection, identification and processes for different objects and obstacles.
Point-Cloud Application Starter Kit
Integrates simultaneous localization and mapping, obstacle detection and object classification in an autonomous solution.
Vehicle Safety Remote-Controller
Provides safe operation of remote and automated solutions through a drive by-wire software tool.
Positioning System Kit
Increases navigation accuracy and integrity through an optimized positioning solution powered by the Robot Operating System (ROS™).
Accelerating Autonomous Application Development Starter Kit
Empowers an autonomous solution through a holistic foundational kit combining components from the Point Cloud kit, Vision Application kit and Remote-Control system.
What do NovAtel and AutonomouStuff off-road autonomous solutions look like?
These sensing and perception kits are designed to integrate precise positioning and autonomous technologies seamlessly into existing manufacturing processes, removing the roadblocks to autonomy facing off-road applications.
Reach out to NovAtel’s off-road autonomy sales team to learn which kit will best support your development of an autonomous solution.
Visit novatel.com to learn more.
All images provided by NovAtel.
This page was produced by North Coast Media’s content marketing staff in collaboration with NovAtel. NCM Content Marketing connects marketers to audiences and delivers industry trends, business tips and product information. The GPS World editorial staff did not create this content.
