Engineering Design

Functional Requirements

Sl No. Functional Requirement
1 The UGV shall provide mobility in forward, reverse, left, and right directions using four hub motors.
2 The UGV shall support autonomous navigation between predefined waypoints.
3 The system shall detect obstacles using LiDAR sensor during navigation.
4 The system shall perform obstacle avoidance during autonomous operation.
5 The UGV shall provide position information using GPS.
6 The UGV shall provide orientation and acceleration data using IMU.
7 The UGV shall provide live video streaming using onboard camera.
8 The system shall allow remote monitoring from a ground control station.
9 The system shall regulate power to motors and electronic components using battery and converters.
10 The UGV shall operate on outdoor terrain including grass, gravel, and inclined surfaces.

Non-Functional Requirements

Sl No. Non-Functional Requirement
1 The overall dimensions of the UGV shall not exceed 70 cm × 50 cm × 40 cm.
2 The UGV shall operate at speeds between 0.5 m/s and 1.5 m/s on flat terrain.
3 The motor drive system shall operate within input voltage range of 31–36 V.
4 The system shall operate using a battery capable of minimum 30 minutes continuous operation.
5 The boost converter shall provide 36 V output within ±5% tolerance.
6 The logic power supply shall provide regulated 5 V output for controller and sensors.
7 The LiDAR sensor shall detect obstacles within a range of 0.2 m to 10 m.
8 The vision system shall provide minimum 720p resolution at 15 FPS.
9 The navigation system shall maintain position accuracy within ±2 m under normal GPS conditions.
10 The UGV shall operate on slopes up to 15° without loss of stability.

System Specifications

Sl No. System Specification
1 The UGV shall have maximum dimensions of 70 cm × 50 cm × 40 cm (L × W × H), measured including chassis, wheels, sensors, and all mounted components during final assembly.
2 The UGV shall use four BLDC hub motors rated at 350 W each, capable of moving the vehicle at a minimum speed of 1.5 m/s on flat outdoor terrain.
3 The motor drive system shall use RKI 9206 motor drivers operating within an input voltage range of 31–36 V, capable of delivering at least 16 A per motor under peak load conditions.
4 The system shall operate on a 24 V battery supply and provide a minimum operating time of 30 minutes, measured during continuous autonomous navigation with motors and sensors active.
5 The power conversion unit shall provide 36 V output using boost converters, maintaining voltage within ±5% tolerance during operation.
6 The logic power supply shall provide regulated 5 V output, measured while powering controller, LiDAR, GPS, IMU, and communication modules simultaneously.
7 The LiDAR sensor shall detect obstacles within a range of 0.2 m to 10 m, measured in outdoor conditions with stationary obstacles.
8 The vision system shall provide live video streaming at minimum 720p resolution and 15 FPS, measured during real-time monitoring.
9 The navigation system shall provide position accuracy within ±2 meters, measured during outdoor waypoint navigation under normal GPS signal conditions.
10 The IMU sensor shall provide orientation and acceleration data with an update rate of at least 50 Hz, measured during vehicle motion.
11 The UGV shall support navigation speed between 0.5 m/s and 1.5 m/s, measured on flat ground during autonomous operation.
12 The UGV shall operate on grass, gravel, and slopes up to 15°, measured without loss of stability or control.
13 The obstacle detection system shall achieve at least 50% detection success rate, measured over multiple obstacle avoidance trials during outdoor testing.
14 The system shall support real-time monitoring with latency less than 5 seconds, measured between the UGV and control station during normal operation.
15 The navigation system shall maintain stable localization despite GPS noise, measured by keeping position error within ±2 m during motion.
1. System Design Options
Function / Subsystem Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4 (Added) Selected Option
Chassis Material
Mild Steel
Aluminum
Acrylic / Composite
Carbon Fiber
Mild Steel
Drive Configuration
2-Wheel Drive
4-Wheel Drive
Tracked Drive
Omni-Wheel Drive
2-Wheel Drive
Motor Type
DC Geared Motor
BLDC Hub Motor
Servo Motor
Stepper Motor
BLDC Hub Motor
Control Unit
Raspberry Pi 4
Raspberry Pi 5
Jetson Nano
Jetson Orin
Raspberry Pi 5
Localization Method
GPS Only
Encoder-Based
GPS + IMU
GPS + IMU + RTK GPS
GPS + IMU
Obstacle Detection
Ultrasonic Sensor
IR Sensor
LiDAR
Depth Camera
LiDAR
Orientation Sensing
Gyroscope
Accelerometer
IMU
Magnetometer Fusion
IMU
Camera / Monitoring
Depth Camera
USB Webcam
Pi Camera
FPV Camera
Depth Camera
Communication
Bluetooth
Wi-Fi
RF Module
LoRa (Long Range)
Wi-Fi
Motor Driver
L298N
BTS7960
RKI 9206
VESC Controller
RKI 9206
Main Power Source
Lead Acid Battery
Li-ion Battery
LiPo Battery
Hybrid + Supercap
Li-ion Battery
Logic Power Supply
Linear Regulator
Buck Converter
Adapter Supply
Switching Regulator
Buck Converter
Motor Voltage Supply
Direct Battery
Boost Converter
Separate Motor Pack
Buck-Boost Converter
Boost Converter

Initial Designs

Design 01

Design 01

Design 02

Design 02

Design 03

Design 03

Design 04

Design 04

Pugh Chart (Concept Selection)

1. Evaluation Criteria & Comparison
Criteria Weight Concept 01 Concept 02 Concept 03 Concept 04
Structural Stability500++
Ease of Fabrication4+000
Component Mounting Space5+0
Sensor Placement Suitability50++0
Weight Distribution40+0
Outdoor Terrain Adaptability50+0
Ease of Maintenance3+0+0
Wiring / Integration Simplicity40+0
Expandability / Modularity50+0
Overall Feasibility500+0
2. Final Score Summary
Concept Positive (+) Same (0) Negative (–) Decision
Concept 01244❌ Not Selected
Concept 02352❌ Not Selected
Concept 03820✅ Selected
Concept 04190❌ Not Selected

✅ Finalised Design — Concept 03

The selected design based on Pugh Chart evaluation. This concept scored highest with 8 plus points, 2 minus points, and 0 same — making it the optimal choice for our UGV platform.

Finalised Design — Concept 03
🔧 Final Component List
Sl No Component Name Specifications Quantity
1GPS ModuleGPS L76X1
2IMU SensorMPU60501
3MotorsBLDC Hub Motors4
4Motor DriversRKI 92064
5Control UnitRaspberry Pi 5 (16 GB RAM)1
6BatteryTATTU 30000 mAh1
7Relay Module4-Channel Relay1
8LiDARRP LiDAR1
9CameraDepth Camera D435i1
10Battery ChargerT240 & T400 AC/DC DUO1
11Buck ConverterDC-DC 5V 5A1
12Acrylic Sheet400 mm × 600 mm × 5 mm1
13Memory Card128 GB1
14Boost Converters22V → 36V4
15UGV Chassis400 mm × 600 mm × 20 mm1
16Nuts & BoltsM12 × 50 mm40