GPS Controlled Autonomous Vehicle

A GPS controlled autonomous vehicle is presented which employs a Parallax GPS Receiver Module to capture the GPS signal and determine the current location of the vehicle. The system is controlled using an Arduino Mega 2560 microcontroller which interfaces to a keypad, LCD, a magnetic compass sensor and Parallax continuous rotation servo motors. The compass sensor determines the vehicle direction by continuously providing measurement of heading. The microcontroller drives the servo motors to move the vehicle to a manually entered destination coordinates. Obstacle detection and avoidance are achieved by incorporating a Parallax PING ultrasonic sensor to measure the distance between the vehicle and the obstacle, and avoidance is implemented by the microcontroller. The designed GPS autonomous vehicle is able to navigate itself independently from one location to a second, user-prescribed location, using GPS-location data. The vehicle measures the bearing angle, and changes its heading towards the destination and repeats the process as it moves to the destination. The performance of the vehicle is enhanced with a capability to detect and avoid unexpected obstructions placed in its path.