Longitudinal Vehicle Controller Design for IVHS Systems

This paper describes a combined throttle/brake control algorithm designed to control intervehicle spacing within a fully automated "platoon" of vehicles. The control algorithm is developed using a modified sliding control method due to the inherent nonlinearities that exist in current automotive vehicles. Tne controller is designed using a simplified four state vehicle model and then simulated on a more complete nine state model. Simulations are shown for a two vehicle platoon and for a four vehicle platoon. The four vehicle platoon simulations illustrate the need for "feedforward" platoon information to eliminate disturbance amplification within the platoon. It is shown that communicating the lead vehicle's velocity and acceleration to all platoon vehicles is sufficient to prevent this amplification.