FPGA implementation of fuzzy wall-following control

The objective of this study concerns the design and implementation of a complete intelligent mechatronic system. The basic idea uses the concept of car maneuvers; control (fuzzy logic controller) and sensor-based behaviors together merged to implement the wall-following control algorithm. The fuzzy logic control algorithm (FLC) was considered as the heart of the controller due to the advantage of its easy implementation on an FPGA (field programmable gate array). The FLC is implemented on a compact custom FPGA board, which provides a powerful reconfigurable hardware platform and software design, at the same time. Complementing the system, a CPU synthesized on the FPGA takes care of interfacing with the external world. The FPGA board and the hardware network are demonstrated in the form of a controller embedded on the prototype car for a task of wall-following and obstacle avoidance. Experimental results on a car-like robot show that the algorithm proposed can successfully navigate the robot to follow the wall in an unknown and changing environment.