Longitudinal Vehicle Controller Design for IVHS Systems

This paper describes a combined throttle/brake control algorithm designed to control intervehicle spacing within a fully automated "platoon" of vehicles. The control algorithm is developed using a modified sliding control method due to the inherent nonlinearities that exist in current automotive vehicles. Tne controller is designed using a simplified four state vehicle model and then simulated on a more complete nine state model. Simulations are shown for a two vehicle platoon and for a four vehicle platoon. The four vehicle platoon simulations illustrate the need for "feedforward" platoon information to eliminate disturbance amplification within the platoon. It is shown that communicating the lead vehicle\´s velocity and acceleration to all platoon vehicles is sufficient to prevent this amplification.