Optimization of Shared Autonomy Vehicle Control Architectures for Swarm Operations

The need for greater capacity in automotive transportation (in the midst of constrained resources) and the convergence of key technologies from multiple domains may eventually produce the emergence of a “swarm” concept of operations. The swarm, which is a collection of vehicles traveling at high speeds and in close proximity, will require technology and management techniques to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable vehicle interactions. We propose a shared autonomy control approach, in which the strengths of both human drivers and machines are employed in concert for this management. Building from a fuzzy logic control implementation, optimal architectures for shared autonomy addressing differing classes of drivers (represented by the driver´s response time) are developed through a genetic-algorithm-based search for preferred fuzzy rules. Additionally, a form of “phase transition” from a safe to an unsafe swarm architecture as the amount of sensor capability is varied uncovers key insights on the required technology to enable successful shared autonomy for swarm operations.