Building an autonomous truck from scratch: Part 2
In my previous post, I covered the process I went through in choosing and constructing the platform for my autonomous truck. Although I have not fully begun the software development, I have been able to complete the powertrain. Before I continue with the project, I wanted to ensure the power system was up to the job of hauling everything that I would need to have on board. Luckily, I had a spare RC receiver from an old tricopter laying around which I was able to quickly hook up to the ESC (Electronic Speed Control) and steering servo. This enabled me to give the truck a manually-controlled performance test with the operational weight that would be required for autonomous driving. With all of the electronics loaded in the back, the truck weighed 0.95kg. The truck was able to crawl through thick grass without much issue. Since a varying throttle was needed to maintain a good velocity, I decided that the final software would need to have a rudimentary cruise controller in order f...