A mixed reality simulator for an autonomous delivery system using platooning

Abstract : Developments in the field of autonomous vehicles have encouraged research to innovate technology to solve everyday problems. E-commerce has been on the rise and, freight transportation is considered an environmental nuisance, especially in the city centers. Electric vehicles have been proposed to reduce the environmental impact of transit vehicles. A package delivery system using a platoon of autonomous electric delivery vehicles and established public transport networks in cities can be employed to solve these problems. But autonomous vehicle testing is a point of concern for authorities and the public alike. This paper acknowledges this problem of validating the algorithms used to create an autonomous delivery system using an innovative solution. A Mixed-Reality simulator based on Unity3D and Robotic Operating System was successfully created to test autonomous vehicle platooning.