One approach to highway automation

Considerable improvements in highway capacity and highway safety can be achieved by vehicle automation. Many approaches to automation are possible, with any given approach depending on one´s premises concerning the future state of the transportation system. Described here is the approach taken at the Communication and Control Systems Laboratory of The Ohio State University, which is based on the following: 1) the individual transportation unit should be retained; 2) an automatic system should be gradually introdnced and be compatible with existing traffic at all stages; and 3) only limited-access highways will be automated. The resulting design is divided into three parts-longitudinal control, lateral control, and intersection and lane-changing control. Two aspects of the longitudinal control problem--automatic system control and driver control--are discussed in detail Typical road-test data from both an automatic longitudinal control system and a driver-aided system are presented. In addition, an automatic steering system is discussed together with typical experimental results.