Contact bridging dampers for back-up on automated highways

Automated Highway Systems (AHS) are under development to address congestion, inefficient energy use and inadequate safety margins. As more intelligence is applied to highway and vehicles, the system increasingly relies on secure communications and control, with potentially hazardous consequences in the event of technical failure. The authors propose an active, intelligently controlled extended fender which permits vehicles to operate in lengthy, stable platoons in direct but ‘soft’ contact, allowing fault support for an AHS. Simulation studies have indicated that stable operation may be retained with only a simple ‘leader’ broadcast signal and that good longitudinal ride quality is also retained, providing results similar to the fully co-operative system. The device also provides potential for additional safety in the event of a collision and for selective power reduction for a co-operative system at steady speed.