In the DARPA grand challenge, full-size, un-manned vehicles were tasked with following a route in the desert described by GPS coordinates (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA_Grand_Challenge).  I thought it would be interesting to do the same thing, but with a radio-controlled car (in my case, a Traxxas Slash 5803).  To make the car drive autonomously, the radio controller would be replaced with a programmable logic controller.

Here is the current version of the car:

To make the car autonomous, I needed to have the PLC:

• Control steering and acceleration (http://jeffsinventions.com/?p=784)
• Include a kill switch (http://jeffsinventions.com/?p=841)
• Detect and avoid obstacles (with an ultrasonic sensor:  http://jeffsinventions.com/?p=881 and with computer vision:  http://jeffsinventions.com/?p=1202)
• Navigate to locations (http://jeffsinventions.com/?p=922)

• http://www.esawdust.com/blog/autveh/files/AutonomousRC-part1.html
• http://rcarduino.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to-read-rc-receiver-with.html
• http://www.bot-thoughts.com/2011/05/data-bus-nickle-tour.html
• http://buildsmartrobots.ning.com/profiles/blogs/robomagellan-2012-build-diary-day-1
• http://find.botmag.com/111109
• http://www.circpeoria.org/category/projects/
• http://brooksbots.com/Robomagellan.html