Three-Dimensional (3D) Modeling of an Autonomous Driven Vehicle for Rural Communities of Nigeria

The increasing adoption of automation and robotics to ease the complexities and stress involved in the transportation sector of the world has given birth to autonomous driving vehicles. It began with automating some parts of the system, such as the brake system, the gear system, navigation, and the like; these have grown to full autonomous systems of automobiles. However, autonomous vehicle designs available to date were all designed for urban communities where there are paved roads with signs. There is therefore a need to extend the technology to rural environments. The unique challenges presented by rural areas, such as complex and dynamic terrains, varying road conditions, limited infrastructure, and sparse population density, necessitate a dedicated focus on simulation. This study aims to contribute by designing and implementing a 3D simulation platform tailored to Nigerian road challenges. The methodology involves the design and simulation of an autonomous vehicle (AV) in a 3D environment using Unity Engine technology and C# programming. It covers the creation of a virtual environment that accurately represents Nigerian landscapes, the design of the AV, including the integration of virtual components, and the programming of vehicle dynamics. The programming of the autonomous vehicle involves path finding through Unity's NavMesh, sensor detection using ray casting, and a system for adjusting speed and steering based on sensor data. The methodology also outlines the development of a user interface for real-time information display. The modeled autonomous driving vehicle was tested by introducing obstruction from a 1m to 5m range while the vehicle was at a steady speed of 50 mph, and it stopped within an average period of 0.3 s. The distance of the obstruction was also fixed at 5m, while the speed of the vehicle was varied as 10mph, 20mph, 30mph, 40 mph, and 50 mph, and it stopped at 0.1 0.1s, 0.18s, 0.26s, 0.29 s, and 0.31 s, respectively. This study has shown the possibility of using autonomous driving vehicles in rural communities and on unpaved roads, which are common in developing countries of the world.