Modelling and Performance Evaluation of Two-Leader Following Communication Topology in Heterogenous Platoons

Control strategies for vehicle platoons remain a critical challenge, particularly in heterogeneous configurations. The performance of Two Leader Follower (TLF) is evaluated against the bench mark performance of Two-Predecessor Leader Following (TPLF), emphasizing the impact of different communication topologies and the role of both primary and co-leaders. Distributed Model Predictive Control (DMPC) is utilized to maintain stability across linked vehicles. The co-tier strategy, featuring Car 1 and Car 3 as leaders, shows promising performance in scenarios such as military and agricultural operations, where multiple platoons are utilized. However, simulation results indicate that the TPLF topology remains the most effective for achieving optimal performance. These findings underscore the importance of communication topology selection in platooning control, with co-tier strategies offering valuable advantages in specific application.