Low Cost Platform for Teaching AI Self-Driving Cars Topics for Undergraduate Students in Emerging Countries

Diego Arce, Jose Balbuena, Diego Quiroz, Hector Oscanoa, Francisco Cuellar

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

This full paper presents the validation and results of a low cost scaled car platform into a project-based course in order to teach AI self-driving cars topics for undergraduate programs in Universities. This is an elective course of the Mechatronics program at Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP) whose second edition of the course was developed during January through March 2020. The main objective of this article is to present the results of the second edition of the project-based course, which details the integration of a low cost robotic platform with an embedded board used to execute computer vision and AI algorithms. Using a robotic platform allowed the students to focus on the application of the algorithms in a real scenario and learn from experience instead of using only simulation platforms. The proposed course aims to introduce the students in self-driving cars topics, and apply the theoretical concepts to develop an autonomous car using the robotic platform. The topics of the course are structured in five categories including Automotive Design Concepts, Localization and Navigation, Computer Vision Techniques, Artificial Intelligent Techniques and Simulation Environment; and is divided into fourteen theoretical lectures and five practical laboratories. The project-based course is aligned with four Students Outcomes from ABET accreditation entity for undergraduate programs in order to reinforce their abilities to work as a team, self-learning, hands-on experience, develop prototypes, testing in real scenarios, and learn basic scientific writing and presentation skills. The results of the second edition of the course show that the students enrolled were able to accomplish the development of a self-driving car capable of completing a lap on a racetrack autonomously only using image processing and AI algorithms. In comparison with the first edition of the course, the inclusion of a scaled car as a base for the project avoided mechanical problems with the chassis and allowed the students to focus on the sensors integration and algorithms programming.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings - 2021 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE 2021
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)9781665438513
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021
Event2021 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE 2021 - Lincoln, United States
Duration: 13 Oct 202116 Oct 2021

Publication series

NameProceedings - Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE
Volume2021-October
ISSN (Print)1539-4565

Conference

Conference2021 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE 2021
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityLincoln
Period13/10/2116/10/21

Keywords

  • Abet Student Outcomes
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Self-driving cars
  • low cost
  • project-based course

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