The Connecticut Transportation Institute at the University of Connecticut has recently acquired the three Quanser QCars and the QStudio system as part of the New England University Transportation Center. This new facility will allow for research and education into automated vehicles and safety. Researchers at UConn, and those part of NEUTC, will have access to the studio to develop new algorithms that use the QCar’s onboard sensors to navigate and detect obstacles. The QCar is the feature vehicle of the Self-Driving Car Research Studio. It is an open-architecture, scaled model vehicle designed for academic research and education. Developers can use python, matlab, or ROS to develop and deploy applications that will allow the scaled vehicle to detect lane markings, communicate with traffic signals, identify traffic signs, and so much more. The Qcar is equipped with a wide range of sensors including LIDAR, 360-degree vision, depth sensor, IMU, encoders, as well as user-expandable IO. The vehicle is powered with an NVIDIA® Jetson™ TX2 supercomputer that provides exceptional speed and power efficiency. The mobility, versatility, and open-source nature will allow for a wide range of research applications as well as learning opportunities for K-12, undergraduates, and graduates.
