Fiscal Year:
2009
Title:
Path Planner for Dynamic Environments
Agency / Branch:
DOD / DARPA
Contract:
W31P4Q-09-C-0176
Award Amount:
$98,024.00
Abstract:
Many modern approaches to autonomy use a layered planning technique where a conventional path planner plans a nominal desired path, and a reactive planner plans trajectories over a local region. In relatively structured environments with good localization, this layered approach has been proven to work well, as shown by TORC's successful 3rd place entry in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge. The overall goal of this Phase I SBIR program is to develop new planning algorithms that allow operation in environments with dynamic obstacles, and do not depend on idealized sensors or accurate global localization. TORC proposes to evaluate two distinct approaches during this Phase I feasibility study. The first approach will use new Rapidly Exploring Dense Tree (RDT/RRT)-based techniques to plan among possible actions. The second approach extends our previous success in the Urban Challenge by creating time indexed costs based on forward simulations of object behavior. This augmented cost map will leverage the ease of representation and searching trajectories, and provide a method of including object motion.
Small Business Information at Submission:
TORC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
2200 Kraft Dr, Ste 1325 Blacksburg, VA 24060
EIN/Tax ID:
202189518
DUNS:
N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned:
No
Minority-Owned:
No
HUBZone-Owned:
No