Radar-Based Vehicle Location and Navigation System

Project goal: To design a navigation system that is not reliant on GPS technology and can be easily attached to the hitch of a vehicle. The success of autonomous vehicles hinges upon accurate GPS signal reception. Loss of signal makes it nearly impossible for autonomous vehicles to navigate their surroundings, which means they do not always function well in parking garages, tunnels and canyons.A GPS-independent navigation system using the Doppler effect was designed. The system is equipped with two radar modules that collect data while the vehicle is in motion, and all hardware is packaged to survive in standard automotive environments. Custom software was developed for the microprocessor that collects the sensor data. A MATLAB algorithm analyzes the data collected and infers vehicle location based on the vehicle’s last known GPS coordinates.