Coordinated control and communication for enhanced safety of highway vehicle platoons

Platoon formation has been identified as a promising framework in developing intelligent transportation systems. By autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle control and inter-vehicle coordination, an appropriately managed platoon can potentially offer enhanced safety, improved highway utility, increased fuel economy, and reduced emission. This paper is focused on quantitative characterization of impact of communication systems on platoon safety. By comparing different information structures and contents, we reveal some intrinsic relationships between control and communications. The findings of this paper provide useful guidelines in sensor selection, communication resource allocation, and vehicle coordination in highway platoon control problems.