A Flexible Real-Time Control System for Autonomous Vehicles

In this paper we present a framework for the real-time control of lightweight autonomous vehicles which comprehends a proposed hard- and software design. The system can be used for many kinds of vehicles and offers high computing power and flexibility in respect of the control algorithms and additional application dependent tasks. It was originally developed to control a small quad-rotor UAV where stringent restrictions in weight and size of the hardware components exist, but has been transfered to a fixed-wing UAV and a ground vehicle for in- and outdoor search and rescue missions. The modular structure and the use of a standard PC architecture at an early stage simplifies reuse of components and fast integration of new features.