Biologically Inspired Intelligent Navigation System (BINSYS)

All of us are aware of the increasing rate of road accidents occurring everyday. Major advances in automobile engineering have provided us with good performance vehicles, but there is a lack of devices/systems that can reduce driver stress. We do have the provision of “Auto-Pilot” in airplanes to help reduce the stress of Pilot but, there has been no step towards providing the same or similar in motor vehicles run on road, where the rate of accidents are much more as compared to accidents in air.
So we propose to develop an Intelligent system that can help in navigation, reduce the driver stress and contribute to safer and more efficient driving.

Concept

All of us are aware of the increasing rate of road accidents occurring everyday. Major advances in automobile engineering have provided us with good performance vehicles, but there is a lack of devices/systems that can reduce driver stress. We do have the provision of “Auto-Pilot” in airplanes to help reduce the stress of Pilot but, there has been no step towards providing the same in motor vehicles run on road, where the rate of accidents are much more as compared to accidents in air. So we propose to develop an Intelligent system that can help in navigation, reduce the driver stress and contribute to safer and more efficient driving. The BINSYS would maintain distance from other vehicles, identify road signs and traffic lights, identify various obstacles like pedestrians, other vehicles and warn the driver in case of abnormalities. By the use of GIS, GPS and GPRS the system would guide the driver to choose an optimal route to reach the destination.
The system would be Biologically inspired in the sense that it would use some algorithms based on behaviour of insects like honeybees, ants etc. These insects have a brain size which is almost thousand times less than a human brain. Even then they are able to go quite far away from their nests/hives in search of food and are able to precisely navigate back to their own home. The small amount of brain size suggests that even with limited memory, processing power and sensing, it is possible to avoid obstacles and navigate. So we shall try to learn from mother Nature and use suitable algorithms which are combination of :

1. Insight gained from insect behavior
2. Fuzzy Logic
3. Neural Network, AI

Thus, the project BINSYS will lead to development of Intelligent Navigation System that can be fitted on existing cars, trucks and other vehicles. The vehicle shall be fitted with controls for Steering wheel, Brake, Accelerator etc which will allow the vehicle to be controlled by drive by wire concept. Various sensors shall be fitted on the vehicle. In case of abnormal road condition or if an accident is anticipated by the system it will give warning signal and/or apply brakes and switch of the ignition. Through use of GPS the system shall also help driver in choosing the optimal route to destination.

Objectives

1. To develop drive by wire system.
2. To maintain distance from other vehicles.
3. To follow centerline on the road.
4. To identify & obey traffic lights & road signs.
5. To implement a fail-safe mechanism so that the vehicle can stop in emergency condition or in conditions where the algorithms cannot make a decision and the driver fails to take any action.
6. To help driver choose an optimal route.

Algorithms
GIS
GPS
Drive by wire

Experts in vehicle manufacturing and vehicle components developers.

System Integration.
Field trials and user testing.
Dissemination and Exploitation.

Vehicle manufacturers.
Vehicle components depelopers.

No