In WARA-PS the Mini-UGV is the platform for the ground as the Mini-USVs are for the water. The Mini-UGV is built upon the same autonomous system hardware as the Mini-USVs where a Pixhawk is the brain and a Raspberry Pi is the companion computer, responsible for communication (mobile internet) and high-level functions such as Core System integration and video feed. The navigation system is guided by two GNSS systems, one normal and one RTK (Real Time Kinetic), both from uBlox. The onboard camera is a normal web camera which is streamed to the Core System video server. The physical properties includes a four wheel drive, built upon hoverboard motors thus both fast and exact in motion, 15 kilos of weight and about a half meter each side.

The Mini-UGV are categorized as WARA-PS Core System level 2 agent and can be used as a MQTT or ROS2 agent. If you want to learn more about the WARA-PS agent-levels, please go to the Core System – Agents page.

Normally the Mini-UGV is prepared as a MQTT agent with docker support connected to the Core System. You can use your preferred IDE as long as there is a support for ARM architecture thus the current version of the software is in python containers. Another feature, that is common with the MINI-USVs, is the ability to simulate before going into the physical world. An ArduPilot SITL simulator can be used in place for your own tests, a simulator that closely resembles the real vehicle.

This platform has been targeted as a moveable landing pad (a roof) for landing drones, ground truth position for camera object detection and tracking but also as a delivery system for Mini-USVs.