This fall my team launched the Open Source Car Control (OSCC) project, a by-wire control kit that makes autonomous vehicle development accessible and collaborative to developers at every level. In this presentation, we discuss the project and its implications on the development of autonomous cars in a vertically integrated and traditionally closed industry.
A primary barrier to entry in autonomous vehicle development is gaining access to a car that can be controlled with an off-the-shelf computer. Purchasing from an integrator can cost upwards of $100K, and DIY endeavors can result in unreliable and unsafe solutions. The OSCC project acts as a solution to these problems. OSCC is a kit of open hardware and software (based on Arduino) that can be used to take control of the throttle, brake, and steering in modern cars. The result is a fully by-wire test car that can be built for about $10K (USD), including the vehicle. In this discussion, we unpack the impetus and development of the OSCC project, challenges we encountered during development, and the role projects like OSCC have in a necessary “flattening” of the automotive industry.