A Decentralized Approach to Dynamic Collaborative Driving Coordination

Abstract

This thesis presents a novel approach to several problems in intelligent transportation systems using collaborative driving coordination. With inter-vehicle communication and intelligent vehicle cooperation, important tasks in transportation such as lane position determination, lane assignment and platoon formation can be solved. Several topics in regard to inter-vehicle communication, lane positioning, lane assignment and platoon formation are explored in this thesis:

First, the design and experimental results of low-cost lane-level positioning system that can support a large number of transportation applications are discussed. Using a Markov-based approach based on sharing information among a group of vehicles that are traveling within the communication range of each other, the lane positions of vehicles can be determined. The robustness effectiveness of the system is shown in both simulations and real road tests.

Second, a decentralized approach to lane scheduling for vehicles with an aim to increase traffic throughput while ensuring the vehicles exit successfully at their destinations is presented. Most of current traffic management systems do not consider lane organization of vehicles and only regulate traffic flows by controlling traffic signals or ramp meters. However, traffic throughput and efficient use of highways can be increased by coordinating driver behaviors intelligently. The lane optimization problem is formulated as a linear programming problem that can be solved using the Simplex method.

Finally, a direction for cooperative vehicle platoon formation is proposed. To enhance traffic safety, increase lane capacities and reduce fuel consumption, vehicles can be organized into platoons with the objective of maximizing the travel distance that platoons stay intact. Toward this end, this work evaluates a proposed strategy which assigns vehicles to platoons by solving an optimization problem. A linear model for assigning vehicles to appropriate platoons when they enter the highway is formulated. Simulation results demonstrate that lane capacity can be increased effectively when platooning operation is used.