Comparing real and simulated performance for an off-road autonomous ground vehicle in obstacle avoidance

This field report presents the results of a study of obstacle detection and avoidance (ODOA) by an autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) in off-road driving conditions. This study included both real and simulated testing of the AGV and served as the third and final phase of a 3-year research project studying the influence of environmental conditions over autonomous driving. We compare and contrast the results of the real and experimental field testing and report our findings on the influence of soft soil in ODOA performance by an AGV. We find that rutting in soft soil results in higher throttle effort but lower steering effort and speed. The results of these experiments will inform future studies of autonomous driving on off-road environments.