Autonomous Vehicle for disabled individuals

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The custom-built project initiated in CATIA V5 embodies an Autonomous Vehicle, engineered specifically for disabled individuals' transportation needs. Built from the ground up, every component was meticulously designed with a focus on precision and attention to detail. The vehicle boasts a 400cc, twin-cam, one-cylinder, hydrogen-powered, four-stroke combustion engine featuring four valves per piston. Furthermore, the vehicle's framework is constructed out of a 40mm steel tubular chassis. Additional components include rear and front axles firmly attached to the kart, which are outfitted with a functional steering system and brake mechanism, allowing the vehicle to function as intended. The wheelchair-bound individual gains access to the vehicle through an electronically actuated door mechanism. The wheels attached provide excellent contact patch with the road, enabling good handling characteristics. Estimated total weight of the vehicle is approximately 310 kg, including standardized bolts and hardware. The assembly's creation process presented numerous challenges for the designing team, but through hard work and perseverance, the autonomous vehicle project was successfully completed within a two-month time constraint. In addition to CATIA as the primary software, other computer programs were utilized to optimize the vehicle's performance. For instance, Ansys was employed to analyze stress, strain, and deformation parameters for the Connecting Rod, enhancing its strength and increasing performance and reliability values. CAM modeling using Autodesk Powermill enabled the creation of a future possibility where the connecting rod could be machined from a solid alloyed steel billet. These endeavors demonstrate the thorough effort put into providing the product on time while meeting initial requirements. The autonomous aspect of the assembly consists of a minimal amount of representative sensors transmitting data to the electronically actuated brake, throttle body, and steering mechanism. As a result, the autonomous vehicle was finalized through a joint collaboration with Anna Starostka and Paulo Fernandes.