Coordinated Adaptive Cruise Control System With Lane-Change Assistance

To address the problem caused by a conventional adaptive cruise control (ACC) system, which hinders drivers from changing lanes, in this study we propose a novel coordinated ACC system with a lane-change assistance function, which enables dual-target tracking, safe lane change, and longitudinal ride comfort. We first analyze lane-change risk by calculating minimum safety spacing between the host vehicle and surrounding vehicles and then develop a coordinated control algorithm using model predictive control theory. Tracking performance is designed on the basis of tracking errors of the host car and two leading vehicles, safety performance is realized by considering the safe distance between the host car and surrounding vehicles, and ride comfort performance is realized by limiting the vehicle's longitudinal acceleration. Driver-in-the-loop tests performed on a driving simulator confirm that the proposed ACC system can overcome the disadvantages of conventional ACC and achieves multiobjective coordination in the lane-change process.