Scaled-down vehicles offer a controlled testing environment for autonomous driving algorithms. They are instrumental in studying the impact of V2V (vehicle to vehicle) and V2I (vehicle to infrastructure) communication on cooperative autonomous vehicle behavior, traffic efficiency, and road safety within confined spaces. This controlled experimentation expedites algorithm validation and development while minimizing risks associated with full-scale testing.

We introduce a meticulously designed one-tenth-scale electric vehicle, emphasizing precise vehicle state measurement, control, perception sensing, and electric safety. Our vehicle incorporates a novel sensing module for measuring wheel angular velocities and steering angles, seamlessly adaptable to existing scaled platforms. Unlike traditional scaled models relying on radio-controlled cars with limited feedback and torque, our approach employs actuators with comprehensive feedback mechanisms, enhancing precision and torque across all speeds. Additionally, we address electrical protection issues with a circuit protection system and battery voltage sensing.

We demonstrate the DEFT's motion, both manually and autonomously, showcasing its features for validation. For manual operation, we analyze sensor performance by comparing their measurement data against ground truth. For autonomous motion, we utilize controllers based on vehicle kinematics, rigorously testing the DEFT on various trajectories, including circular, eight-shaped, decreasing eight-shaped, and H-shaped paths. Through these evaluations, we demonstrate the DEFT's versatility and precision in real-world scenarios, highlighting its potential in advancing autonomous driving technology.