Synchronous longitudinal reference signal generation—An experimental study of its use in automatic vehicle control

A method of obtaining a continuous reference signal for use in the synchronous longitudinal control of automated ground transport systems is presented and evaluated in preliminary full-scale tests. The results of the latter, which were obtained using a reference signal in conjunction with an instrumented vehicle at speeds from 0 to 46 ft/s over 1600 ft of roadway, are presented. Successful operation was achieved with both steady-state and time-varying velocity command signals. A significant finding, with respect to implementation of the method, was that the roadway environment introduces signal attenuation (2 dB/100 ft) that must be circumvented before practical long-distance operation can be achieved. However, with system refinement, the technique holds great promise for future implementation.