Analysis of Electrostatic Discharge Interference Effects on Small Unmanned Vehicle Handling Systems

Electrostatic discharge is a common phenomenon in daily life, and the electromagnetic pulse radiation generated during discharge can cause great harm to power, communication, sensing, and other equipment, resulting in systems not working properly. To verify the safety and reliability of unmanned vehicle handling systems in complex electromagnetic environments, the interference effect of electrostatic discharge, a common source of electromagnetic interference in life, on unmanned vehicle systems was studied. According to the electrostatic discharge interference mechanism, typical electrostatic discharge mode, and discharge model, an unmanned vehicle handling system was tested for electrostatic discharge according to the ISO10605-2008 standard. Based on the measured data, the effect of electrostatic discharge on the safety and functionality of the unmanned vehicle handling system and its sensors was analyzed, and threshold values for the failure of the unmanned vehicle handling system under different discharge methods, discharge models, and discharge polarity were obtained. When the electrostatic discharge voltage amplitude is only 2 kV, the vehicle’s LiDAR data sensor cannot work normally due to the echo reception circuit, and the failure rate of LiDAR continues to increase with increasing discharge voltage. When the discharge voltage is only 4 kV, the millimeter-wave radar is disconnected from the vehicle module due to the electrostatic discharge interference of the transmission cable, and when the discharge voltage is 12 kV, the unmanned vehicle is unable to provide stable and accurate environmental information to avoid collisions. This study provides a reference for the design of electromagnetic protection of unmanned equipment and will have a guiding role in enhancing the construction of reliable, safe, and intelligent equipment in complex electromagnetic environments.